The Caregiver Pathway
Trial question
What is the role of The Caregiver Pathway intervention for post-intensive care syndrome in family caregivers of critically ill patients?
Study design
Single center
Open label
RCT
Population
Characteristics of study participants
65.0% female
35.0% male
N = 196
196 patients (127 female, 69 male).
Inclusion criteria: family caregivers of critically ill patients.
Key exclusion criteria: no informed consent; > 3 family caregivers per patient.
Interventions
N=101 The Caregiver Pathway (four-step model, including assessment and conversation, printed information care, offer of discharge conversation, follow-up conversation, for family caregivers of critically ill patients).
N=95 usual care (standard care including spontaneous conversations with the ICU nurses and meetings with the physicians).
Primary outcome
Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder at 3 months, measured by Impact of Event Scale-Revised total score, among caregivers to patients surviving intensive care unit stay
23 points
31.7 points
31.7 points
23.8 points
15.8 points
7.9 points
0.0 points
The Caregiver
Pathway
Usual
care
Significant
decrease ▼
Significant decrease in symptoms of PTSD at 3 months, measured by Impact of Event Scale-Revised total score, among caregivers to patients surviving the ICU stay (23 points vs. 31.7 points; B -8.2, 95% CI -14.2 to -2.2).
Secondary outcomes
Significant decrease in Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety score at 3 months among caregivers to patients surviving the ICU stay (5.3 points vs. 7.6 points; B -2.2, 95% CI -4 to -0.5).
Significant decrease in Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Depression score at 3 months among caregivers to patients surviving the ICU stay (3.2 points vs. 4.9 points; B -1.5, 95% CI -2.9 to -0.1).
Significant increase in Health-Related QoL-Physical Functioning score at 3 months among caregivers to patients surviving the ICU stay (77.8 points vs. 72 points; B 9.7, 95% CI 0.3 to 19).
Conclusion
In family caregivers of critically ill patients, The Caregiver Pathway was superior to usual care with respect to symptoms of PTSD at 3 months, measured by Impact of Event Scale-Revised total score, among caregivers to patients surviving the ICU stay.
Reference
Solbjørg Watland, Lise Solberg Nes, Øivind Ekeberg et al. The Caregiver Pathway Intervention Can Contribute to Reduced Post-Intensive Care Syndrome Among Family Caregivers of ICU Survivors: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Crit Care Med. 2025 Mar 1;53(3):e555-e566.
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