Improving the Collaborative Health of Adult Dyads

This study tests the efficacy of a dyadic intervention to mitigate the adverse health consequences of adults with pre-existing chronic health conditions and their informal carepartners (IC). People from rural regions are more likely to be burdened with greater rates of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. Chronic diseases contribute to more severe health consequences and higher rates of premature mortality. Further, those living in rural areas are also more likely to be impacted by health-related social needs, such as limited health care access, social isolation and lack of social support, that negatively impact quality of life (QoL) and chronic disease self-management behaviors. To provide the fullest health benefits to all people with chronic conditions, it is critical that we design interventions that include strengthening social determinants of health for improved chronic disease self-management, health, functioning, and QoL.

This study will utilize an embedded mixed methods design paired with an efficacy RCT. Our iCINGS FAM (Integrating Community-based Intervention Under Nurse Guidance with Families) is a RN-Community Health Worker (CHW)-delivered, telehealth-enhanced intervention (14-weeks) that targets compounding lack of social support (i.e. care network) and stressors for improved chronic illness management and future disease prevention in adult dyads. The objective of iCINGS FAM is to strengthen the efficacy and agency of the dyad to manage illness behaviors as an integrated unit, termed "dyadic illness management."

Inclusion criteria

• Male and female
• Living in a Medically Underserved Area and/or a designated rural area of South Carolina
• ≥ 18 years and above
• A previous diagnosis of one or more of the following conditions: type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, or stroke (>3 months)

-Carepartner inclusion criteria

• Male and female
• ≥ 18 years and above
• Must live on the same property or community, preferably within a 40-mile radius of the patient (dyad member)
• Primarily responsible for care provision and/or care/social support in the home (i.e., is not paid for services)

Exclusion criteria

• Enrolled in related clinical trials

.No member of dyad has at least one of the included chronic health conditions