The effect of a Web-based stroke intervention on carers' well-being and survivors' use of healthcare services.
OBJECTIVE
We hypothesised that carers of stroke survivors who participate in the Web-based intervention, Caring approximately Web, would have higher well-being than non-Web users. We also postulated that those survivors whose carers participated in Caring approximately Web would use fewer healthcare services.


METHODS
A randomised, two-group, repeated measures design was used. Subjects were recruited from four rehabilitation centres from which first-time stroke survivors were discharged to home in two Midwestern states. Of 144 carers screened, 103 carers of these survivors who were novice Internet users were assigned to a Web or non-Web user group. Seventy-three subjects completed the study.


METHODS
Caring approximately Web was a Web-based intervention of education and support provided to the Web user group for 1 year. A bi-monthly telephone survey collected data on all carers well-being (perceived depression, life satisfaction) and survivors healthcare service use (self-reported provider and emergency department visits, hospital re-admissions, nursing home placement).


RESULTS
No statistical differences were found between the groups in carers well-being or in the number of provider visits for survivors. There were significant differences in emergency department visits (p = 0.001) and hospital re-admissions (p = 0.0005) related to the health of survivors.


CONCLUSIONS
This Web-based intervention helped new carers make informed decisions about healthcare needs of stroke survivors, thus reducing service use.
Pierce
Linda L
LL
College of Nursing, The University of Toledo, Toledo 43614, USA. l.pierce@utoledo.edu
Steiner
Victoria L
VL
Khuder
Sadik A
SA
Govoni
Amy L
AL
Horn
Lawrence J
LJ
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001294:Attitude to Health; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012944:Social Support; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D020521:Stroke / Q000523:psychology*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*