RECRUITING

Biomechanical Validation of the CATT

Study Overview

This clinical trial focuses on testing the efficacy of different digital interventions to promote re-engagement in cancer-related long-term follow-up care for adolescent and young adult (AYA) survivors of childhood cancer.

Description

As of 2020, 53 million Americans provide unpaid care to an individual with a disability. One commonly performed activity of daily living (ADL) provided by informal caregivers is assisted transfers, which requires moving an individual from one surface to another. Approximately 94% of informal caregivers who assist with ADLs to persons with adult-onset chronic physical disabilities affecting mobility reported musculoskeletal discomfort, with pain and discomfort made worse by performing caregiving activities. Although many informal caregivers assist with transfers, most have never received any formal training in proper manual lifting or mechanical lifting techniques. Improper transfer techniques can be detrimental to not only caregiver health but also to the persons they assist resulting in shoulder injury, bruising and pain from manual lift techniques, hip fractures from falls, and skin tears from shear force that occurs with sliding during transfers. Current standard of care provides limited in-person training of caregivers, as most of the rehabilitation process is client-focused. When training is provided clinicians have no means to objectively evaluate if proper techniques are being performed at discharge or when the caregiver and care recipient return home. For this reason, an outcome measure called the Caregiver Assisted Transfer Technique Instrument (CATT) was developed to provide a quick, objective way to evaluate proper technique of caregivers who provide transfer assistance to individuals with disabilities. The CATT evaluates the caregiver's performance on setup, quality of the task performance, and results. After a formal assessment through stakeholder review involving clinicians, informal caregivers, and individuals with physical disabilities who require transfer assistance, the CATT was expanded to include two versions; one that evaluates manual lift technique (CATT-M) and one that evaluates mechanical lift techniques (CATT-L). However, the CATT must undergo further testing with informal caregivers and the individuals they assist to determine if the CATT is a reliable, valid, and responsive tool for identifying skill deficits in caregivers performing assisted transfers. The purpose of this study is to establish the psychometric properties (reliability, validity, and responsiveness) of the CATT and to evaluate the effects of an individualized training session for participants who have transfer technique deficits as identified by the CATT. The long-term goal of this research is to develop the CATT so that it can be used as an objective indicator of transfer performance as well as guide training and educational interventions for informal caregivers to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal pain and injury associated with assisted transfers.

Official Title

Biomechanical Validation of the Caregiver Assisted Transfer Technique Instrument

Quick Facts

Study Start:2024-07-24
Study Completion:2026-10-31
Study Type:Not specified
Phase:Not Applicable
Enrollment:Not specified
Status:RECRUITING

Study ID

NCT06013878

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.

Ages Eligible for Study:18 Years
Sexes Eligible for Study:ALL
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:No
Standard Ages:ADULT, OLDER_ADULT
Inclusion CriteriaExclusion Criteria
  1. 1. at least 18 years old
  2. 2. routinely provide transfer assistance to an adult with a physical disability
  3. 3. serving as a caregiver for at least 3 months
  4. 4. no formal didactic or structured training on assisted transfer techniques received as part of a professional degree or training program
  5. 1. at least 18 years old,
  6. 2. has a physical disability diagnosis for at least one year
  7. 3. requires assistance with transfers
  8. 4. currently receives care from an informal caregiver
  1. 1. have existing pressure ulcers or a recent history of pressure ulcers within the last 3 months
  2. 2. have any recent upper extremity injuries (within the last 6 months) that could be exacerbated by being transferred

Contacts and Locations

Study Contact

Alicia M Koontz, PhD
CONTACT
(412) 383-6596
Alicia.Koontz@va.gov
Nikitha Deepak, MS BS
CONTACT
(412) 822-3669
nikitha.deepak@va.gov

Principal Investigator

Alicia M Koontz, PhD
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System University Drive Division, Pittsburgh, PA

Study Locations (Sites)

VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System University Drive Division, Pittsburgh, PA
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15240
United States

Collaborators and Investigators

Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development

  • Alicia M Koontz, PhD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System University Drive Division, Pittsburgh, PA

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 Registration Dates

Study Start Date2024-07-24
Study Completion Date2026-10-31

Study Record Updates

Study Start Date2024-07-24
Study Completion Date2026-10-31

Terms related to this study

Keywords Provided by Researchers

  • caregivers
  • outcome assessment, health care
  • wheelchairs
  • physical medicine and rehabilitation
  • moving and lifting patients

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

  • Informal Caregivers
  • Low Back Pain
  • Biomechanics