The Development of a New Computer-Adaptive Test to Evaluate Strain in Caregivers of Individuals With TBI: TBI-CareQOL Caregiver Strain.
Noelle E Carlozzi, Michael A Kallen, Phillip A Ianni and 6 others
PMID 29966647WHAT IT FOUND
A brief computer adaptive questionnaire measures caregiver strain for civilian and military caregivers of people with TBI.
It asks only a few items and can be completed quickly. Scores can flag caregivers who may need extra support.
Key findings
01The Caregiver Strain measure was tested in 560 caregivers of people with TBI, including 344 civilian caregivers and 216 military caregivers.
02In the computer adaptive simulation, the most common test length was four items, and the average length was 5.2 items.
03The 6-item short form had very good stability over three weeks and was approved by clinical experts for content and coverage.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The study did not include enough parents to check whether items behaved differently for parents than for spouses. There were only 81 male caregivers, so the study could not check item bias by sex. TBI severity was missing for 60.3% of military caregivers, and the paper assumed most were mild based on prevalence. The paper says more work is needed for test-retest reliability, validity, and responsiveness to change. Only 56 civilian and 89 military caregivers completed the retest, and retest participants were recruited solely through University of Michigan. Most caregivers were female, Caucasian, married, and caring for a spouse.
Declared interests
The supplied text does not include a funding or conflict-of-interest declaration. The article metadata lists NIH extramural and U.S. Government non-PHS research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that this measure improves caregiver or patient outcomes. It was developed and tested as a questionnaire, and the paper says additional work is needed to establish responsiveness to change.