Using Community Health Workers to Support Rural Care Partners of Seriously Ill Older Veterans

Last updated: October 22, 2025
Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development
Overall Status: Active - Not Recruiting

Phase

N/A

Condition

Nephropathy

Kidney Disease

Copd (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)

Treatment

Remote Community Health Worker support

Clinical Study ID

NCT06963970
SDR 24-078
1l01HX003922-01A1
  • Ages > 18
  • All Genders
  • Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Summary

The investigators aim to support care partner's well-being and satisfaction with VA care and decrease their work burden by offering extra support from a trained Community Health Worker who will help connect the care partner to helpful resources in their communities and in the VA. The investigators also hope to help Veterans well-being and satisfaction with VA care by supporting their care partner more sufficiently allowing the care partner to focus on caregiving tasks.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion

Inclusion Criteria:

Care Partner Inclusion Criteria

  • A relative, friend, or partner (18 years of age) with whom Veteran patient has apersonal relationship who assists Veteran regularly with care and/or carecoordination as defined under "Veterans" below

  • Residing in a rural area based on RUCC or Rural-Urban Continuum Codes83

  • Must be enrolled in CSP Program of General Caregiver Support Services

  • Can live with or separately from the Veteran; able to communicate in English byphone

Veteran Inclusion Criteria

  • Receiving care at Durham, Asheville, and Richmond VA Health Systems (e.g., at least 2 outpatient visits in past year; has a primary provider) and residing in a ruralarea.

  • Diagnosed with congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,cancer, dementia, or end-stage renal disease.

  • Requires assistance with at least one ADL (i.e., walking, feeding, toileting,transferring, bathing, or dressing) or IADL (i.e., transport, medication, financialmanagement, shopping, or meal preparation)

  • 50 years old or older and able to communicate in English by phone (for assessments)

Exclusion

Exclusion Criteria:

Veteran Exclusion Criteria

  • Flag or social work note indicating suspected Caregiver abuse.

  • Unable to communicate in English by phone for assessments.

Study Design

Total Participants: 480
Treatment Group(s): 1
Primary Treatment: Remote Community Health Worker support
Phase:
Study Start date:
February 16, 2026
Estimated Completion Date:
September 30, 2028

Study Description

Aim 1: Determine CSNAV effectiveness in increasing rural Veterans' well-being, reducing rural care partner burden, and increasing rural care partner/Veteran satisfaction with VA care in the intervention group compared with the usual care (CSP) group. The investigators will apply a 6-month intervention in a randomized control trial over 27 months. Primary Outcome: (H1) Care partners randomized to intervention group will have lower mean Zarit-1216 burden scores at 6 months compared to the control group. Secondary Outcomes: (H2) Care partners and Veterans randomized to the intervention group will have higher mean CAHPS Global Satisfaction17 scores at 6 months compared to the control group. (H3) Veterans randomized to the intervention group will have higher mean Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale18 scores at 6 months compared to the control group.

Aim 2: Following intervention, the investigators explore Veterans' and care partners' experience of CHWs as a mode of VA support using semi-structured interviews. The investigators then facilitate Delphi Method sessions with the Community Advisory Board plus study Veterans/care partners, CHWs, and key operational partners to examine Aims 1 & 2 data for intervention improvements and implementation planning using updated CFIR.19

Aim 3: Conduct budget impact analysis from the VA perspective to evaluate cost-drivers and assess feasibility to inform adaptation and implementation of the intervention within a VA regional network.

Connect with a study center

  • Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC

    Durham, North Carolina 27705-3875
    United States

    Site Not Available

  • Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC

    Durham 4464368, North Carolina 4482348 27705-3875
    United States

    Site Not Available

Not the study for you?

Let us help you find the best match. Sign up as a volunteer and receive email notifications when clinical trials are posted in the medical category of interest to you.