Web-based interventions can help reduce negative health outcomes for caregivers of patients with chronic diseases

Ploeg J, Ali MU, Markle-Reid M, et al.  Caregiver-focused, web-based interventions: Systematic review and meta-analysis (Part 2) Journal of Medical Internet Research, 2018;20(10):e11247.

Review question

•        Do web-based interventions reduce negative outcomes such as stress, low self-esteem, and helplessness among caregivers of patients with chronic diseases?

Background

•        Careing for loved ones with chronic health conditions can be rewarding. However, caregivers are at a higher risk of developing negative physical and mental health outcomes.  

•        Web-based interventions that focus on psychological counselling, caregiver education and electronic monitoring of patients are used to support caregivers.

•        This systematic review examines the effectiveness of web-based interventions for caregivers of older adults.

How the review was done

•        A detailed search of a number of electronic databases was conducted to identify studies published from 1995 up to mid-2017. Studies that focused on the impact of web-based interventions on caregivers of older adults were included in the review.

•        A total of 7,297 studies were identified in the initial database search and 14 were included in the review.

•        This systematic review was funded by the Canadian Institute of Health Research and the School of Nursing at McMaster University.

What the researchers found

•        The review revealed that professional and peer support through web-based interventions play a major role in overcoming feelings of helplessness and low self-esteem among caregivers.

•        Web-based interventions that involved caregiver education and electronic monitoring of patients had little to no effect on caregiver well-being.

•        Generally, the review found that web-based interventions had a small-to-moderate benefit on stress management and self-esteem. However, these studies are of low quality and the results should be considered with caution.

Conclusion

•        Evidence suggests that web-based interventions that incorporate patient education and support can be helpful for improving the mental well-being and self-esteem of caregivers. Electronic monitoring of patients had no impact on caregiver well-being.

•        Overall, web-based interventions showed a low-to-moderate impact on caregiver well-being.