Researchers at Wake Forest University’s School of Medicine, the academic core of Advocate Health, will launch a large-scale study to examine how added support and resources for family caregivers might benefit patient outcomes and help family caregivers manage both their loved ones and their own needs following a hospital stay.
The work, led by Thomas Karr Houston, M.D., M.P.H., and Marc Kowalkowski, Ph.D., is funded through a recently announced award from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). The study will include 20 hospitals within Advocate Health and will examine how to address caregiver needs.
Researchers will recruit patients aged 65 and older admitted to the hospital for non-surgical diagnoses and who have family caregivers. The groups will be divided into two, with both receiving various support for the patients during hospitalization and after discharge. But in one group, family caregivers will also receive support, including education, skills training and links to resources to address burnout, stress or other needs, along with ways they can best support the patient who is transitioning home following a hospital stay.
The study will revolve around what might be a critical time for any patient — just after hospital discharge when they are at risk for adverse health events, which could lead to more time in the hospital. The project derived from discussions between clinicians and researchers, along with engagement with patients and their family caregivers.
“While there has been extensive research on the effect of offering patient support after hospital discharge, there’s less examining what happens to patients and their families when we also support the caregivers,” said Houston, professor of internal medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. “You also need to support them, otherwise they can get burnt out or even sick themselves.”
The support provided will vary based on patients’ and caregivers’ needs and local resources in their area. Ultimately, support for caregivers will help them care for their family members effectively while also managing their own stress.
During the seven-year study, researchers will evaluate patient outcomes, like hospital readmissions, total days spent in the hospital and other health-related events, while also regularly checking in with caregivers. The study will include participants from both urban and rural areas, along with individuals with and without cognitive impairment, to identify any differences in outcomes.
“Leaving the hospital can be a vulnerable time for patients and families,” said Kowalkowski, associate professor of internal medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. “We hope this work will not only ease that transition but also inform future decisions in health care on how best to support families.”
PCORI is a nonprofit organization with a mission to fund research designed to provide patients, their caregivers and clinicians with the evidence-based information needed to make better-informed health care decisions. The funding award to Wake Forest University School of Medicine has been approved pending completion of PCORI’s business and programmatic review and issuance of a formal award contract.