Program Evaluation of Telehomecare: TeLeCare Study (TLC)

March 21, 2018 updated by: Murray Krahn, University of Toronto

Program Evaluation of Telehomecare for Patients With Heart Failure or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: TeLeCare (TLC) Study

This study will evaluate the Telehomecare (THC) Program offered to patients with heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease across the Central West, Toronto Central and North East Local Health Integration Networks in Ontario. It will explore the opinions and experiences of patients, providers, technicians and administrators involved with THC Program in order to provide stakeholders with information about the processes and organizational factors impacting the program's adoption, the experiences of its participants, impact on patient outcomes, costs to the health-care system and who is benefiting the most from participating. These factors will be determined using semi-structured interviews, surveys, and observation of practices of everyone involved with THC. The study will also evaluate patient data to determine changes in patients' utilization of healthcare services.

Study Overview

Detailed Description

The program evaluation will consist of three components that will employ two research methods, qualitative and quantitative.

Comparative Practice Study (Qualitative) This study will explore how factors related to the technology, patients, providers and organizational structures and processes influence the adoption and implementation of THC across selected sites (including micro-, meso- and macro-systems) in Ontario. Ethnographic study, in-depth semi-structured interviews and documentation collection and review will be employed to explore, among other factors, the behaviours, communication patterns, workflows and tasks of health care providers and their interaction with patients. Interviewees will be selected using purposive sampling.

Descriptive Study (Quantitative) The patterns of THC use will be evaluated by conducting a descriptive study based on the data routinely collected by the Ontario Telemedicine Newtrok that tracks all encounters (i.e. telephone calls, remote patient monitoring data transmission, face to face visits) between patients and THC providers. A randomly selected subset of THC participants/caregivers will also complete validated structured questionnaires at up to four time points during program, baseline, one, two, and three months after enrollment. These are the Quality of Life Profile Measure (SF12), Quality of Life Preference Measure (EQ5D), Telemedicine Perception Questionnaire (TMPQ), Stanford self-efficacy scale and Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8). The providers of THC will also be asked to complete questionnaires; physicians will be asked to complete Penn State Physician Telehomecare Survey, whereas the nurses will be asked to complete a Nurse Satisfaction Survey.

ICES Linkage Study (Quantitative) Primary collected research data will be linked to the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) administrative databases. Outcomes (i.e. hospitalizations, primary care visits) of patients receiving or have received Telehomecare, will be assessed for a period of 6 months prior to enrolment, during the program and for up to 6 months after discharge.

Study Type

Observational

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

      • Toronto, Canada
        • University of Toronto

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Health care providers, technicians, administrators/decision makers and patients enrolled in the Telehomecare Program.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Patient

  • The patient has a documented diagnosis of HF or COPD (with or without co-morbid conditions)
  • The patient is a 'heavy user' of the health care system, characterized by any of the following:
  • A minimum of one hospitalization for a respiratory or cardiac complaint in the past six months
  • A minimum of two emergency department/urgent care center visits for a respiratory or cardiac complaint in the past six months
  • Is receiving nursing services via CCAC
  • Frequent visits to primary care provider in the past year
  • The patient or informal caregiver (if applicable) is an adult (over 18 yrs) able and willing to provide informed consent.
  • The patient or informal caregiver (if applicable) is fluent in English
  • The patient or informal caregiver is able and willing to operate the THC equipment
  • The patient lives in a residential (private home or retirement home) setting with an active landline
  • The patient or informal caregiver have agreed to be contacted for evaluation of this program when consenting to participate in the Telehomecare program.

Health Care Provider

  • Any health care provider who referred a patient to the telehomecare program
  • Primary care providers of patients who are enrolled in the study
  • Telehomecare nurses/physicians involved in the provision of care to patients enrolled in the telehomecare program
  • For interviews and surveys telehomecare nurses/physicians must have 3 months experience with telehomecare

Technician, Administrators and/or Decision Makers

  • Technicians involved in the set-up of telehomecare equipment at patients' homes.
  • Administrators and/or Decision Makers of the THC program as a larger network of care such as Healthcare Program Managers, key members of the LHIN, OTN etc.

Exclusion Criteria:

Patient

  • Less than 18 years of age
  • Individuals without an established diagnosis of COPD or chronic HF
  • Unable or unwilling to provide verbal informed consent
  • Demonstrated non-adherence to the THC program
  • The THC Clinician works with each patient on a case-by-case review to assess willingness to partner in their own care, and if the number of missed consultation appointments and reasons for demonstrate overall non-adherence with the program.
  • Inability or unwillingness to use THC equipment
  • Do not have a regular caregiver to assist in the use of the equipment

Health Care Provider, Technician, Administrators and/or Decision Makers

- Unable or unwilling to provide verbal informed consent

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

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Telehomecare patients
Observational fieldwork, in depth interviews and surveys up to 4 times will be conducted.
In Depth interview will be conducted for 30-60 min using semi-structured questionnaire to assess participants experience with telehomecare program.
Observational fieldwork will conducted to observe everyday routine activities related to telehomecare. May last up to 1h per observation.
Surveys with participants will be conducted using validated survey tools.
Health care providers
In-Depth interviews, observational fieldwork and one time survey will be conducted.
In Depth interview will be conducted for 30-60 min using semi-structured questionnaire to assess participants experience with telehomecare program.
Observational fieldwork will conducted to observe everyday routine activities related to telehomecare. May last up to 1h per observation.
Surveys with participants will be conducted using validated survey tools.
Telehomecare administrators
In depth interviews will be conducted
In Depth interview will be conducted for 30-60 min using semi-structured questionnaire to assess participants experience with telehomecare program.
Observational fieldwork will conducted to observe everyday routine activities related to telehomecare. May last up to 1h per observation.
Telehomecare technicians
In-depth interviews, observational fieldwork will be conducted.
In Depth interview will be conducted for 30-60 min using semi-structured questionnaire to assess participants experience with telehomecare program.
Observational fieldwork will conducted to observe everyday routine activities related to telehomecare. May last up to 1h per observation.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Organizational Factors (Semi-structured interviews and general observation)
Time Frame: The data collection period will be approximately 3 months

Those factors will be identified via qualitative research methods, hence no measurable units are applicable for them.

Semi-structured interviews and general observation of all types of participants will be done at different times/stages of program.

The data collection period will be approximately 3 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Overall patterns of use (length of stay, drop out rates, nurse workload, etc.)
Time Frame: Retrospectively using Ontario Telemedicine Network database, for all participants who were enrolled in the Telehomecare program. The data collection period will be approximately 3 months
Participants' demographics, average length of stay within the program, drop out rates, nurses workload (number of patients per nurses), number of alerts per patients and per nurse.
Retrospectively using Ontario Telemedicine Network database, for all participants who were enrolled in the Telehomecare program. The data collection period will be approximately 3 months
Telemedicine perception (Telemedicine perception questionnaire (TMPQ))
Time Frame: Prospectively at baseline, and at month 1, 2, 3 follow-up
Measured via Telemedicine perception questionnaire (TMPQ)
Prospectively at baseline, and at month 1, 2, 3 follow-up
Health services utilization (hospitalization, LOS, ED visits, etc.)
Time Frame: Retrospectively, six months before, during and after the Telehomecare program. Will be collected for the patients who completed the Telehomecare by the 28 Feb 2014.
Number of hospitalizations, length of stay, ED visits, primary care visits, cost related to health services utilization. Will be done through linkage with ICES database
Retrospectively, six months before, during and after the Telehomecare program. Will be collected for the patients who completed the Telehomecare by the 28 Feb 2014.
Quality of life
Time Frame: Prospectively at baseline, and at month 1, 2, 3 follow-up
Measured via EQ-5D and SF-12 questionnaires
Prospectively at baseline, and at month 1, 2, 3 follow-up
Client satisfaction (satisfaction questionnaire (CSQ-8)
Time Frame: Prospectively at baseline, and at month 1, 2, 3 follow-up
Measured via client satisfaction questionnaire (CSQ-8)
Prospectively at baseline, and at month 1, 2, 3 follow-up
Chronic disease management (Stanford Chronic Disease Self-Management 33-item scale)
Time Frame: Prospectively at baseline, and at month 1, 2, 3 follow-up
Measured via Stanford Chronic Disease Self-Management 33-item scale
Prospectively at baseline, and at month 1, 2, 3 follow-up

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Murray Krahn, MD,MSc, THETA Collaborative
  • Principal Investigator: Valeria Rac, MD, PhD, THETA Collaborative

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

June 1, 2014

Primary Completion (ACTUAL)

December 1, 2014

Study Completion (ANTICIPATED)

September 1, 2018

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 27, 2014

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 4, 2014

First Posted (ESTIMATE)

December 8, 2014

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (ACTUAL)

March 22, 2018

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 21, 2018

Last Verified

March 1, 2018

More Information

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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