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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT04533594

Improving Self-Efficacy Through a Telenovela: Feasibility Study

In the NOVELA intervention, hospice care will be enhanced with the telenovela videos for hospice family caregivers (HFCG) education during weekly hospice visits to prepare caregivers for proper use of hospice support and healthcare services

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Key information

Conditions

Healthy Anxiety Disorders Mental Disorders

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Johns Hopkins Univeristy

Baltimore, Maryland, 21287, United States

About this study

Telenovela is a television drama or soap opera that can be used to lead viewers to contemplate and discuss critical issues through video storytelling. Prior work showed informational telenovelas had a positive effect on Latino family caregivers' attitudes toward end-of-life (EOL) care services. The role of videos in hospice and palliative care shows significant promise, underscoring the videos as a mode of education for family caregivers that could potentially enhance caregiver's self-efficacy, decrease caregiver's anxiety, and reduce burnout. Despite the value of video education, many programs have failed to provide engaging material.

Based on input from HFCG, the investigators have produced a bilingual (Spanish and English version) four chapter telenovela video series (To Care/ El privilegio de cuidar) as part of NCI funded diversity supplement study. Founded upon extensive preliminary work, To Care portrays the journey of one hospice family as the family struggle with the hospice decision, pain management, decision-making, and finally the dying process. Averaging only 4:65 minutes, each chapter addresses one of these problems, validating family experiences and identifying potential solutions. Based on this work and interviews with hospice staff the investigators have built an intervention, NOVELA, to disseminate telenovelas to family caregivers in hospice agencies. The investigators will test the feasibility of NOVELA delivery in the hospice setting and evaluate efficacy of the intervention. The overall expectation is that NOVELA will improve self-efficacy thus lowering anxiety in hospice family caregivers. This proposal has the following aims:

  • Specific Aim 1: To pilot test the feasibility and acceptability of integrating NOVELA with hospice care for family caregivers of hospice patients
  • Specific Aim 2: To investigate the preliminary efficacy of integrating NOVELA with hospice care for family caregivers of hospice patients

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Identified family caregiver of patients enrolled in hospice
  • Caregivers must be over the age of 18
  • Without cognitive impairment
  • With access to wireless device and internet.

Exclusion criteria

  • HFCG of patients that are actively dying
  • Caregivers younger than 18 years
  • With cognitive impairment
  • Without internet access.

Treatment and study plan

NOVELA

Behavioral

The family caregivers that consent to participate will work with the interventionist to use a web-enabled device (computer, smartphone or tablet) to access and view the telenovela video (one of four episodes, each 3-6 mins) over the course of 4 hospice visits (one episode per visit). All four visits will be in person using telehealth via video-conferencing. The number of visits is based on the number of videos which content is prioritized based on previous work. The interventionist will introduce the purpose and topic of the video, facilitate video viewing and then elicit clarifying questions and reinforce main message.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in HFCG Anxiety Before and After NOVELA as Assessed by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item Scale

    Time frame: Baseline and up to 8 weeks

    Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale. Family caregiver indicate the frequency they have been bothered by generalized anxiety. 7-items, scale 0-3, score range 0-21; higher scores reflect higher anxiety.

    Final score was collected up to 8 weeks from baseline.

  2. Change in HFCG Self-efficacy Before and After NOVELA as Assessed by the Caregiver Self-Efficacy Scale

    Time frame: Baseline and up to 8 weeks

    Caregiver Self-Efficacy Scale (CaSES) - 21-items, scale 1-4, score range 1-4; higher scores reflect higher self-efficacy.

    Final score was collected up to 8 weeks from baseline.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in HFCG Satisfaction During and After NOVELA as Assessed by a Single-item Satisfaction Question

    Time frame: 2 weeks and up to 6 weeks

    Single-item satisfaction question related to HFCG satisfaction with intervention. Investigator developed Likert scale item scored from 1 to 5 where 1 = "Not satisfied" and 5 = "Very satisfied".

    First score was at 2 weeks and final score was up to 6 weeks from first score assessment.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Johns Hopkins University

Other

Collaborators

  • National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
  • University of Colorado, Denver

Registry information

Official study title

Improving Self-efficacy Through A Telenovela Intervention for Caregivers of Patients Receiving Hospice Care: Feasibility Study

Acronym: NOVELA

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2022
Study completion
2023
First posted
Aug 31, 2020
Registry last updated
Jun 12, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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