Pilot Testing Decision Making in Aging and Dementia for Autonomy Program in Nursing Homes (DIGNITY)

February 15, 2024 updated by: Liza Behrens, PhD, RN, Penn State University

Pilot Testing Decision Making in Aging and Dementia for Autonomy for Preference-Based Care in Nursing Homes

The purpose of this study is to adapt, pilot test, and evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of DIGNITY (Decision-making In aGing and demeNtIa for auTonomY) for Preference-Based Care in Nursing Homes as a new evidence-based intervention to support nursing home staff to safely honor care and activity preferences of residents' living with dementia in rural, typically under resourced nursing home communities.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Of 6.5 million older Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease and related forms of dementia (ADRD), two thirds will die in a nursing home (NH) where staff are not prepared to deliver a minimal level of federally mandated care. Care in NHs is delivered by an ever-changing workforce of 1.3 million staff members who are responsible to provide person-centered care (PCC)- that is care based on knowing and honoring residents preferences for care and activities of daily living. NH residents have reported they are not satisfied with efforts to honor their preferences for everyday living and care activities. For residents living with ADRD this can lead to a loss of dignity, anger, agitation, isolation, depression, and negative social interactions between residents ultimately reducing quality of life. A prominent, known barrier to honoring residents' preferences is the predominantly risk adverse attitudes and behaviors of NH staff. DIGNITY (Decision-making in aging and dementia for autonomy) is novel multi-level intervention based in theory and evidence aimed at empowering nursing home staff to negotiate residents' risky preferences by addressing intrinsic and system barriers to safely honoring a resident's preferences with decision aids, care planning, and staff coaching/education. In the proposed project, we will implement DIGNITY in a pilot cluster randomized trial of 120 nursing home staff and residents across four rural nursing homes located in Pennsylvania. Our aims are to: 1.) To explore stakeholder perspectives on the relevance and feasibility of implementing the DIGNITY intervention in rural, underserved nursing home communities; and 2.) examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of DIGNITY within four rural, underserved nursing homes. Outcomes will be evaluated at baseline and 12 weeks following baseline education on the DIGNITY protocol. This study is a critical next step in developing evidence-based interventions that target gaps in direct-care workforce skills needed to enhance quality of care delivery to persons with ADRD living in NHs.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
4

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Liza Behrens, PhD
  • Phone Number: 8148650743
  • Email: llb237@psu.edu

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Pennsylvania
      • State College, Pennsylvania, United States, 16803
        • Pennsylvania State University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

14 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria for Nursing Homes:

  1. Located in rural Pennsylvania as defined by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania
  2. Administrator articulates commitment to delivering person-centered care
  3. NH has a dedicated dementia care unit and/or a total bed capacity of 50 beds or more
  4. NH has the capacity to participate in the study activities for the term of the study as determined by nursing home leadership
  5. NH has a dedicated quality improvement/safety team that meets regularly
  6. NH has a stable internet connectivity for program delivery

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Nursing Home does not meet inclusion criteria.

Convenience sampling will be used to recruit nursing home staff and residents within nursing homes.

Inclusion criteria for Nursing Home Staff:

  1. 18 years or older
  2. Employed by the participating nursing home for at least 6 months
  3. Fluent in written and spoken English
  4. Provides and/or influences direct care delivery to older adults with dementia

Inclusion criteria for Residents:

  1. Resides in nursing home study site for at least 3 months
  2. English speaking
  3. Documented diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or related dementia (ADRD)
  4. Have a stated preference that nursing home staff indicated poses a risk to their health and/or safety
  5. Provides consent/assent to be enrolled

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Infection Control Training
Nursing homes randomized to this arm of the study receive CDC guidelines and evidence based information on infection prevention prevention and control. Nursing home staff implement these standard in everyday resident care. Additionally, nursing home staff are invited to participate in Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) sessions via real-time interactive videoconferencing software to support the implementation of the CDC guidelines and evidence-based practices.
Behavioral: Infection Control
This is an attention control intervention with similar dose of educational content and attention from interventionist. It includes distribution of links to the CDC Infection Control Practice Guidelines for nursing homes, a baseline training on infection control practices for frontline workers, and six ECHO coaching sessions.
Experimental: DIGNITY Intervention
Nursing homes randomized to this arm of the study receive an evidence based risk assessment and care planning protocol for supporting decision making and aging in dementia for autonomy (DIGNITY). Nursing home staff use this manual to implement risk assessment and care planning for resident preferences that they perceive to carry a risk to the resident's health and/or safety. In addition nursing home staff participate in Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) sessions via real-time interactive videoconferencing software to support the implementation of the DIGNITY protocol.
Behavioral: DIGNITY
DIGNITY is a multi-component, multi-level intervention that guides shared decision-making in nursing homes to support person-centered dementia care. Based in theory, this intervention targets nursing home staff attitudes and behaviors around assessing and judging whether to engage in risk situations to support resident preferences for everyday living and care despite cognitive decline due to dementia. It includes a protocol manual, baseline training on how to implement the DIGNITY strategy, and six ECHO sessions to help frontline staff negotiate intrinsic and cultural factors in preference situations that carry a risk to residents' health and safety.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Intervention Feasibility
Time Frame: 12 weeks after baseline education on DIGNITY protocol
Evidence of Feasibility (Feasibility of Intervention Measure)
12 weeks after baseline education on DIGNITY protocol
Staff Behavioral Intent
Time Frame: 12 weeks after baseline education on DIGNITY protocol
Evidence of Staff Intent to Honor Resident's Preference (Investigator developed survey item)
12 weeks after baseline education on DIGNITY protocol
Resident Satisfaction
Time Frame: 12 weeks after baseline education on DIGNITY protocol
Evidence of resident satisfaction with preference (Preferences for Everyday Living Inventory)
12 weeks after baseline education on DIGNITY protocol
Intervention Fidelity
Time Frame: 12 weeks after baseline education on DIGNITY protocol
Evidence of staff fidelity to the DIGNTY Intervention (Investigator developed DIGNITY Intervention Fidelity Assessment Checklist)
12 weeks after baseline education on DIGNITY protocol

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Staff Self - Efficacy
Time Frame: 12 weeks after baseline education on DIGNITY protocol
Changes in perceived self-efficacy in Person-Centered Risk Management (Investigator Developed Self Efficacy Survey for Person-Centered Risk Management)
12 weeks after baseline education on DIGNITY protocol
Intervention Acceptability
Time Frame: 12 Weeks after baseline education on DIGNITY protocol
Staff rate intervention acceptability on the Acceptability of Intervention Measure
12 Weeks after baseline education on DIGNITY protocol

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Penn State University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Liza Behrens, PhD, Penn State University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 24, 2023

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
May 1, 2024

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 1, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
September 22, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 9, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
November 16, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
February 20, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 15, 2024

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
February 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 00020594

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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