Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: Informal caregivers of people with dementia are crucial in dementia care. However, they are insufficiently supported and report caregiver burdens, which urges the need for cost-effective interventions aimed at supporting caregivers. The “Partner in Balance” program is a blended self-management intervention targeting early-stage dementia caregivers. This study presents baseline results and the health-economic analysis plan of the “Partner in Balance” study.
METHODS: A pragmatic, cluster randomized controlled trial is being conducted to compare the “Partner in Balance” with usual care in the Netherlands. The study involves informal caregivers of people with early-stage dementia, recruited through local care professionals. Data is collected at baseline and 3-, 6-, 12-, and 24-month follow-ups. Cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analyses are performed from a societal perspective, focusing on self-efficacy, care costs, and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) as primary outcomes. Missing data will be addressed using a descriptive analysis, multiple imputations, and post-imputation diagnostics. Bootstrapping will be applied to manage uncertainty, and various uncertainty analyses will be conducted to assess the robustness of the results.
RESULTS: The mean baseline demographics, caregiver self-efficacy, utility scores, care utilization, and associated costs for individuals with dementia and their caregivers are presented.
CONCLUSIONS: This study’s detailed health-economic analysis plan provides a robust framework for evaluating the cost-effectiveness of interventions aimed at informal dementia caregivers. The baseline results contribute valuable insights into the characteristics of the study population, enhancing the understanding of caregiver needs and the potential impact of the “Partner in Balance” program.