Developing and Assessing Competencies for Caregivers and Patients With Ventricular Assist Devices
Condition: Congestive Heart Failure
MeSH terms: Heart Failure
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      Discharge to the community is increasingly becoming a priority for patients implanted with a
      Ventricular Assist Device (VAD). Because VADs are complex, patients and caregivers often fear
      leaving the hospital, although their status does not require hospitalization. This project
      includes development of CD/video and web-based instructional programs on management of the
      VAD controller for patients and their caregivers (formal and informal). A clinical trial will
      be used to examine discharge rates and placements following patients educated under usual
      care vs. self-pace CD/video conditions.
    

Detailed description: 
      Discharge to the community is increasingly becoming a priority for patients implanted with a
      Ventricular Assist Device (VAD). The current study is designed to develop an Artificial Heart
      Continuity of Care Competency Program (AHC3P) to ensure the safety and feasibility of their
      return to the community. This program will identify and delineate the step-by-step procedures
      required to care for a patient's ventricular assist device (VAD) on a daily basis, or during
      an emergency. These step-by-step procedures will be will be used to develop a self-paced
      learning CD/video program for patients and caregivers and competencies. The same competencies
      will also be used by the Artificial Heart Program team to assess caregiver skills, and
      provide direct feedback on steps that need revision or more in-depth instruction. Subjects
      will be recruited in four phases. Training for all four phases will be conducted by members
      of the AHP team. During Phase I, VAD recipients will be videotaped while undergoing the
      current Artificial Heart Program (AHP) training. During Phase II, VAD recipients and their
      caregivers will be recruited as the control group and will also undergo the current AHP
      training. Phase III will involve patients and their informal caregivers undergoing the AHC3P
      and will serve as the experimental group. Data regarding the self-efficacy of the trainees
      and the length of time and the number of trials required to achieve competency with the AHC3P
      will be compared to the training program currently in place. During the fourth phase, health
      care professionals from UPMC will be recruited to undergo the AHC3P training. Data regarding
      their self-efficacy prior to and after the training program will be compared.
    

Intervention name(s): self-paced instruction
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Patients and caregivers review a DVD as often as they wish on how to care for routine and emergency procedures associated with their artificial heart
Observational model: Case-Control
Time perspective: Prospective
Sampling method: Non-Probability Sample
Study population: 
        Four males; 4 females. Mean age of 39.6 (age range = 26-67) Caucasian = 100%
      
Keywords: computer-assisted instruction; instruction (video)