Trial reportBMC health services research2020
TALKING TIME: A pilot randomized controlled trial investigating social support for informal caregivers via the telephone.
Trial report in BMC health services research, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT02806583 (Talking Time), which is not on this map. Cited by 13 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Talking Time: Telephone Support Groups for Informal Caregivers of People With Dementia: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 25 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effectiveness of Telephone Interventions for the Management of Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia in the Community: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Pooled it
- [How effective are non-pharmacological interventions for family caregivers? A systematic review with meta-analyses].Gesundheitswesen (Bundesverband der Arzte des Offentlichen Gesundheitsdienstes (Germany)) · 2025Pooled it
- Completeness of Telehealth Interventions Reporting in Randomized Controlled Trials for Caregivers of People With Dementia: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Pooled it
- A systematic review of the effectiveness of technological interventions for caregivers of people with dementia: effects on quality of life and psychoemotional variables.Frontiers in public health · 2025Pooled it
- Effectiveness of psychological interventions for reducing depressive symptomatology and overload and improving quality of life in informal caregivers of non-institutionalized dependent elderly: a systematic review.Frontiers in medicine · 2024Pooled it
- Telephone-based aftercare groups for family carers of people with dementia - results of a mixed-methods process evaluation of a randomized controlled trial.BMC health services research · 2023Trial
- Telephone-based aftercare groups for family carers of people with dementia - results of the effect evaluation of a randomised controlled trial.BMC health services research · 2022Trial
- TALKING TIME: A pilot randomized controlled trial investigating social support for informal caregivers via the telephone.BMC health services research · 2020Trial
- Development of and satisfaction with a short-term outpatient preventive medical service for working informal caregivers: a study protocol of a non-randomized prospective pilot study.Pilot and feasibility studies · 2026Article
- Using Photovoice to investigate the lived experiences of family care partners of people living with dementia: What supports their well-being in a care relationship?Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Coping with Emotional Distress via Self-Disclosure to Robots: An Intervention with Caregivers.International journal of social robotics · 2025Article
- What works to support carers of older people and older carers? an international evidence map of interventions and outcomes.BMC geriatrics · 2024Review
- Digital interventions to reduce social isolation and loneliness in older adults: An evidence and gap map.Campbell systematic reviews · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCaring for people with dementia at home requires considerable time, organization and commitment. Therefore, informal caregivers of people with dementia are often overburdened. This study examined the effects of the telephone-based Talking Time intervention, which is an approach used to strengthen the psychological health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and social support of informal caregivers of people with dementia living at home.
methodsThis study was a Medical Research Council framework phase two randomized controlled trial. The intervention consisted of a preliminary talk, information booklet, six structured telephone-based support group meetings and a structured written self-evaluation of each support group meeting. The control participants performed their usual individual self-organized care. After completing the data collection, the control group received the Talking Time intervention for fidelity reasons. The primary outcome was the self-rated psychological HRQoL of the informal caregivers, which was measured with the mental component summary of the General Health Survey Questionnaire Short Form 12 (SF-12).
resultsThirty-eight informal caregivers and their relatives were included and allocated to the intervention or control groups (n = 19 each). After 3 months, the Talking Time intervention group demonstrated an increase in the self-rated psychological HRQoL scores, whereas the scores decreased in the control group. However, the standardized effect size of 1.65 (95% Confidence Interval, - 0.44 - 3.75) was not significant. Additionally, the secondary outcomes demonstrated no significant results. The differences between the groups in most outcomes were in the expected direction. No adverse effects were identified due to the intervention.
conclusionsThe Talking Time intervention is feasible and shows nonsignificant promising results with regard to the self-rated psychological HRQoL. After further adjustment, the intervention needs to be evaluated in a full trial.
trial registrationClinical Trials: NCT02806583 , June 9, 2016 (retrospectively registered).
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.