Effect of Structured Education for Family Members of Intensive Care Patients Undergoing Tracheostomy (TRACH-FAMILY)

July 27, 2026 updated by: Alkay Kara, Giresun University

The Effect of Structured Education Provided to Family Members of Patients Undergoing Tracheostomy in the Intensive Care Unit on Anxiety, Psychological Well-Being, and Satisfaction With Care: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Family members of patients undergoing tracheostomy in the intensive care unit frequently experience anxiety, uncertainty, and concerns regarding the patient's care. This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effect of structured education provided to family members of patients undergoing tracheostomy in the intensive care unit on state anxiety, psychological well-being, and satisfaction with care. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group. The intervention group will receive structured education before tracheostomy, whereas the control group will receive routine information. Outcomes will be assessed before tracheostomy, on the first day after tracheostomy, and one week after the procedure.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
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

This prospective, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial is designed to evaluate the effect of structured education provided to family members of patients undergoing tracheostomy in the intensive care unit on state anxiety, psychological well-being, and satisfaction with care. The study is being conducted in the intensive care unit of Giresun Training and Research Hospital. A total of 84 eligible family members will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the intervention or control group.

Participants in the intervention group will receive a structured face-to-face educational program developed by the research team before the tracheostomy procedure. The educational program includes information on the purpose of tracheostomy, the procedure, potential risks, intensive care management, communication with the patient, post-discharge care, and the role of family members in the care process. Participants in the control group will receive routine information provided according to the standard clinical practice of the hospital.

The primary outcomes are state anxiety, psychological well-being, and satisfaction with care. Trait anxiety will also be assessed at baseline. Outcome assessments will be performed before tracheostomy (baseline), on the first day after the procedure, and one week after tracheostomy. The findings are expected to provide evidence regarding the effectiveness of structured educational interventions for family members of critically ill patients and contribute to improving family-centered care in intensive care units.

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.
84

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 Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Giresun
      • Giresun, Giresun, Turkey (Türkiye), 28200
        • Recruiting
        • Giresun Training and Research Hospital
        • Contact:

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Family member or primary caregiver of a patient scheduled to undergo tracheostomy in one of the participating intensive care units.
  • Aged 18 years or older.
  • Able to read, understand, and communicate in Turkish.
  • Willing to participate in the study.
  • Provides written informed consent.
  • Actively involved in the patient's care and treatment process.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosed with a severe psychiatric disorder.
  • Severe hearing, visual, or cognitive impairment that prevents completion of the study questionnaires.
  • Communication problems that prevent participation in the data collection process.
  • Declines to participate in the study.

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: Supportive Care
  • 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.
Experimental: Structured Education Group
Participants in this group will receive a structured face-to-face educational program developed by the researchers before the patient undergoes tracheostomy. The education will include information about the purpose of tracheostomy, the procedure, post-tracheostomy care, communication with the patient, potential problems, and the role of family members in the care process.
Behavioral: Structured Education Program
The structured education will be delivered face-to-face to the family member before the patient undergoes tracheostomy. The program will cover the purpose and necessity of tracheostomy, the procedure, changes that may occur after tracheostomy, communication methods, basic care principles, potential complications, and the involvement of family members in the care process. Participants' questions will be addressed during the educational session.
Active Comparator: Routine Information Group
Participants in this group will receive routine verbal information provided by healthcare professionals as part of the standard clinical practices of the intensive care unit. The structured educational program developed by the researchers will not be provided to this group.
Other: Routine Information
Participants will receive routine verbal information provided by healthcare professionals according to the standard clinical practice of the intensive care unit. No structured educational program will be provided.

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
State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) Score
Time Frame: Baseline before tracheostomy, 1 day after tracheostomy, and 1 week after tracheostomy
Anxiety will be assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). At baseline, both the State Anxiety and Trait Anxiety subscales will be administered. At 1 day and 1 week after tracheostomy, only the State Anxiety subscale will be administered. Each subscale ranges from 20 to 80, with higher scores indicating higher levels of anxiety.
Baseline before tracheostomy, 1 day after tracheostomy, and 1 week after tracheostomy
Psychological Well-Being Scale Score
Time Frame: Baseline before tracheostomy, 1 day after tracheostomy, and 1 week after tracheostomy
Psychological well-being will be assessed using the 8-item Psychological Well-Being Scale. Each item is scored from 1 to 7, resulting in a total score ranging from 8 to 56. Higher scores indicate greater psychological well-being.
Baseline before tracheostomy, 1 day after tracheostomy, and 1 week after tracheostomy
Family Satisfaction in the Intensive Care Unit-24 (FS-ICU-24) Score
Time Frame: Baseline before tracheostomy, 1 day after tracheostomy, and 1 week after tracheostomy
Family satisfaction will be assessed using the 24-item Family Satisfaction in the Intensive Care Unit questionnaire (FS-ICU-24). The questionnaire evaluates satisfaction with care, information, and participation in decision-making. Each item is scored from 1 to 5. Higher scores indicate greater family satisfaction with intensive care.
Baseline before tracheostomy, 1 day after tracheostomy, and 1 week after tracheostomy

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.
Giresun 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.
May 18, 2026

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 18, 2027

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 18, 2027

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).
July 27, 2026

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.
July 27, 2026

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.
July 30, 2026

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.
July 30, 2026

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.
July 27, 2026

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.
July 1, 2026

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.
  • TRACH-FAMILY-2026-01
  • 15.04.2026/08 (Other Identifier: Medical Research Ethics Committee, Giresun University)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

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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