The Dementia Care Study (D-CARE): Recruitment Strategies and Demographic Characteristics of Participants in a Pragmatic Randomized Trial of Dementia Care

Overview

Journal Alzheimers Dement

Specialties Neurology
Psychiatry

Date 2024 Feb 15

PMID 38358084

Authors

Mia Yang

Rafael Samper-Ternent

Elena Volpi

Aval-NaRee Green

Maya Lichtenstein

Katy Araujo

Pamela Borek

Peter Charpentier

James Dziura

Thomas M Gill

Rebecca Galloway

Erich J Greene

Kristin Lenoir

Peter Peduzzi

Can Meng

Jordan Reese

Amy Shelton

Eleni A Skokos

Jenny Summapund

Erin Unger

David B Reuben

Jeff D Williamson

Alan B Stevens

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: Pragmatic research studies that include diverse dyads of persons living with dementia (PLWD) and their family caregivers are rare.

Methods: Community-dwelling dyads were recruited for a pragmatic clinical trial evaluating three approaches to dementia care. Four clinical trial sites used shared and site-specific recruitment strategies to enroll health system patients.

Results: Electronic health record (EHR) queries of patients with a diagnosis of dementia and engagement of their clinicians were the main recruitment strategies. A total of 2176 dyads were enrolled, with 80% recruited after the onset of the pandemic. PLWD had a mean age of 80.6 years (SD 8.5), 58.4% were women, and 8.8% were Hispanic/Latino, and 11.9% were Black/African American. Caregivers were mostly children of the PLWD (46.5%) or spouses/partners (45.2%), 75.8% were women, 9.4% were Hispanic/Latino, and 11.6% were Black/African American.

Discussion: Health systems can successfully enroll diverse dyads in a pragmatic clinical trial.

Citing Articles

Health System, Community-Based, or Usual Dementia Care for Persons With Dementia and Caregivers: The D-CARE Randomized Clinical Trial.

Reuben D, Gill T, Stevens A, Williamson J, Volpi E, Lichtenstein M JAMA. 2025; .

PMID: 39878968 PMC: 11780506. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2024.25056.

Recruitment Challenges and Strategies in a Technology-Based Intervention for Dementia Caregivers: Descriptive Study.

Ko E, Gao Y, Wang P, Wijayasingha L, Wright K, Gordon K JMIR Form Res. 2025; 9:e59291.

PMID: 39864818 PMC: 11769690. DOI: 10.2196/59291.

Considerations When Designing and Implementing Pragmatic Clinical Trials That Include Older Hispanics.

Samper-Ternent R, Silveira S, Stevens A, Volpi E, Naik A Ethn Dis. 2024; 33(2-3):76-83.

PMID: 38845738 PMC: 11145730. DOI: 10.18865/ed.33.2-3.076.

The dementia care study (D-CARE): Recruitment strategies and demographic characteristics of participants in a pragmatic randomized trial of dementia care.

Yang M, Samper-Ternent R, Volpi E, Green A, Lichtenstein M, Araujo K Alzheimers Dement. 2024; 20(4):2575-2588.

PMID: 38358084 PMC: 11032530. DOI: 10.1002/alz.13698.

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