Trial results for the implementation of the Care Ecosystem Training Model for individuals with Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia were posted on ClinicalTrials.gov on 2025-08-05, indicating reductions in emergency department visits and caregiver distress.
Background
Providing high-quality care for persons living with dementia (PLWD) and supporting their care partners in primary care settings is an increasing necessity. The Care Ecosystem model is a telephone-based dementia care program designed to offer standardized, proactive, personalized, and scalable support and education. Previous implementations of the Care Ecosystem model have shown improvements in patient quality of life, reductions in unnecessary healthcare expenditures, and a decrease in care partner burden and depression.
Trial design
This completed study, designated as Phase NA, enrolled 524 participants. The trial investigated the feasibility of implementing the Care Ecosystem Training Model for individuals with Dementia and Alzheimer Disease. The intervention involved the Care Ecosystem model, which provides support and education for care partners. Outcomes were compared between an intervention group and a control group.
Key results
The trial reported key measurements and analyses 6 months post-intervention:
- ED Visits Per Member Per Month 6 Months Post Intervention:
- Intervention group: A mean of 0.056 visits per member per month (Standard Deviation 0.129).
- Control group: A mean of 0.075 visits per member per month (Standard Deviation 0.144).
- Caregiver Distress (NPI-Q) 6 Months Post:
- Intervention group: A mean score of 10.86 on a scale (Standard Deviation 8.79).
- Control group: A mean score of 11.68 on a scale (Standard Deviation 8.60).
Key analyses using the Difference in differences method showed:
- For ED visits, a Rate Ratio of 0.61 (95.0% Confidence Interval: 0.31 to 1.2) with a p-value of 0.05.
- For Caregiver Distress (NPI-Q), a Mean Difference (Net) of -2.7 (95.0% Confidence Interval: -6.53 to 1.12) with a p-value of 0.05.
What this means
The results suggest that implementing the Care Ecosystem Training Model may reduce emergency department visits for individuals with Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia, as indicated by a rate ratio of 0.61. Additionally, the model appears to lessen caregiver distress, with an observed mean difference of -2.7 in NPI-Q scores. Both analyses reported a p-value of 0.05. These findings highlight the potential benefits of structured, telephone-based support programs for improving patient outcomes and alleviating the burden on care partners.
Source
The information regarding these trial results was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public database of clinical studies. The results for the study NCT04556097, titled "Implementation of the Care Ecosystem Training Model for Individuals With Dementia in a High-risk, Integrated Care Management", were posted on 2025-08-05 on clinicaltrials.gov.