Objectives: Identify non-pharmacological interventions to support patient/caregiver dyads with ACSCs; review the effects of dyadic interventions on health services outcomes; and review the effectiveness of dyadic interventions on patient and caregiver biopsychosocial outcomes.
Methods: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
Results: Twenty-six manuscripts representing 20 unique RCTs (Mean N = 154 patients, 140 caregivers) were eligible. Eleven RCTs examined caregiving in patients with HF, seven with T2DM, one with COPD, and one with mixed ACSCs. Dyadic interventions for ACSCs were diverse in terms of length and content, with most including an educational component. Only 4/26 included studies had a low risk of bias. Interventions were most successful at improving quality of life, clinical health outcomes, health behaviors, and health services outcomes, with fewer improvements in patient mental health outcomes, psychosocial outcomes, relationship outcomes, and caregiver outcomes in general. The largest effect sizes were reported from trials focused on T2DM.
Conclusions: High-quality research with consistent measuring instruments is needed to understand which interventions are associated with improved patient and caregiver outcomes.
Clinical implications: There may be clinically relevant benefits to including caregivers in interventions for patients with ACSCs, and clinicians should consider this when devising treatment plans.
Keywords: Ambulatory care; caregiving; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; dyads; heart failure; type 2 diabetes mellitus.