Caring for Caregivers: Exploring Beneficial Intervention Features for Caregivers of Traumatic Brain Injuries
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Date
2022-12
Department
University of Baltimore. Division of Science, Information Arts and Technologies
Program
University of Baltimore. Master of Science in Interaction Design and Information Architecture
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This item may be protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. It is made available by the University of Baltimore for non-commercial research and educational purposes.
Abstract
52% of Traumatic Brain Injury recipients suffer from extended effects of these injuries that affect not only cognitive, but emotional and behavioral well-being, for years after initial onset. Caregivers of these individuals are often informal, meaning they possess no medical professional background and are not being paid for their assistance. These individuals dedicate significant hours and effort to education and performing care duties, often leading to experiencing instances of significant stress. This study explored the question of what features would be beneficial in an intervention tool for Caregivers of Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injuries. A Traumatic Brain Injury Quality of Life (TBI-QOL) Caregiver Strain - Short Form Questionnaire was administered to participants, followed by a prototyped intervention highlighting three (3) proposed features. Participants were given task-based scenarios to interact with each feature of the prototype, followed by a survey for feedback. Successful task completion was achieved by at least 80% of participants, in each scenario. The Symptom Tracker was cited most often as the most beneficial feature. In terms of what features were most desired that were not currently existing: Suggestions of next actions to take to help the care recipient and a means for communication with medical professionals, tied. The implications of this study are concurrent with literature findings that caregivers desire and would positively receive interventions that assist with informational needs, record organization, and give them supportive tools to perform their duties more autonomously. These findings have implications for creating new interventions both within Medical Institutions and Health and Wellness focused companies. This proposed intervention has potential to impact and integrate with environments such as medical record systems, discharge instructional material, and web and mobile applications.