The CARING intervention for neuro-oncology family caregivers: Randomized controlled trial feasibility,...

To address the unmet support needs of neuro-oncology family caregivers, our team developed an 8-week intervention, CARING. CARING consists of electronic Social Network Assessment Program (eSNAP), a web-based tool to identify and organize support resources, and manualized navigation sessions for caregivers. Our objective is to evaluate the methodological feasibility of our randomized controlled trial (RCT) study design, and caregiver engagement and acceptability of CARING.

The RCT compared CARING to a waitlist control. RCT feasibility was evaluated based on caregiver and patient recruitment and retention. CARING intervention engagement was evaluated via caregiver participation data over 8 weeks. CARING intervention acceptability was evaluated via quantitative satisfaction scales, as well as qualitative debrief interviews of caregiver participants at 8 weeks.

Of 502 potentially eligible patient-caregiver dyads approached, 148 consented (29%). Although effective, randomization was ended due to mid-study coronavirus disease (COVID)-related administrative issues that impacted recruitment rates. In the last year, all participants were assigned to the intervention condition to prioritize the evaluation of CARING. Of those enrolled, 87% of caregivers and 77% of patients completed the Week-8 assessment. Of the 81 caregivers assigned to CARING, 88% used eSNAP at least once, and 73% engaged with 6+ navigation topics. At 8 weeks, 77% of caregivers reported that they liked CARING and 81% found it helpful. Qualitative data provided additional insights into intervention acceptability.

Results suggest that the RCT methodology used is feasible, and neuro-oncology caregivers engaged with CARING components and found the intervention acceptable. Future studies can apply key lessons in developing or implementing other caregiver interventions.