@Article{info:doi/10.2196/11247,
author="Ploeg, Jenny
and Ali, Muhammad Usman
and Markle-Reid, Maureen
and Valaitis, Ruta
and Bartholomew, Amy
and Fitzpatrick-Lewis, Donna
and McAiney, Carrie
and Sherifali, Diana",
title="Caregiver-Focused, Web-Based Interventions: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (Part 2)",
journal="J Med Internet Res",
year="2018",
month="Oct",
day="26",
volume="20",
number="10",
pages="e11247",
keywords="burden; caregivers; chronic conditions; education; internet; meta-analysis; support; Web-based interventions",
abstract="Background: Approaches to support the health and well-being of family caregivers of adults with chronic conditions are increasingly important given the key roles caregivers play in helping family members to live in the community. Web-based interventions to support caregivers have the potential to lessen the negative health impacts associated with caregiving and result in improved health outcomes. Objective: The primary objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine the effect of caregiver-focused, Web-based interventions, compared with no or minimal Web-based interventions, on caregiver outcomes. The secondary objective was to assess the effect of different types of Web-based interventions (eg, education, peer and professional psychosocial support, and electronic monitoring of the care recipient), compared with no or minimal Web-based interventions, on caregiver outcomes. Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CIHAHL, PsychInfo, Cochrane, and AgeLine were searched from January 1995 to April 2017 for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or controlled clinical trials (CCTs) that compared caregiver-focused, Web-based intervention programs with no or minimal Web-based interventions for caregivers of adults with at least one chronic condition. Studies were included if they involved: adult family or friend caregivers (aged ≥18 years) of adults living in the community with a chronic condition; a caregiver-focused, Web-based intervention of education or psychosocial support or electronic monitoring of the care recipient; and general caregiver outcomes (ie, burden, life satisfaction, self-efficacy or mastery, reaction to problem behavior, self-esteem, strain, and social support). Title and abstract as well as full-text screening were completed in duplicate. Data were extracted by a single reviewer and verified by a second reviewer, and risk of bias assessments were completed accordingly. Where possible, data for these caregiver outcomes were meta-analyzed. Results: The search yielded 7927 unique citations, of which 294 studies were screened at full text. Of those, 14 studies met the inclusion criteria; 12 were RCTs and 1 study was a CCT. One study used an RCT design in 1 country and a CCT design in 2 other countries. The beneficial effects of any Web-based intervention program, compared with no or minimal Web-based intervention, resulted in a mean increase of 0.85 points (95{\%} CI 0.12 to 1.57) for caregiver self-esteem, a mean increase of 0.36 points (95{\%} CI 0.11 to 0.62) for caregiver self-efficacy or mastery, and a mean decrease of 0.32 points (95{\%} CI −0.54 to −0.09) for caregiver strain. However, the results are based on poor-quality studies. Conclusions: The review found evidence for the positive effects of Web-based intervention programs on self-efficacy, self-esteem, and strain of caregivers of adults living with a chronic condition. Further high-quality research is needed to inform the effectiveness of specific types of Web-based interventions on caregiver outcomes. Trial Registration: PROSPERO CRD42018091715; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display{\_}record.php?RecordID=91715 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/738zAa5F5) ",
issn="1438-8871",
doi="10.2196/11247",
url="http://www.jmir.org/2018/10/e11247/",
url="https://doi.org/10.2196/11247",
url="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30368439"
}