Online Eligibility Screening Survey
Thank you for your interest in the Daily Study of Caregiving Relationships and Health! The purpose of this study is to learn about the relationships and social supports of family caregivers to spouses recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia, and how these relationships may affect health risks and quality of life.
Please note: This study is currently enrolling spouses or romantic partners to someone living with dementia, including Alzheimer's Disease.
All study activities can be completed remotely. You do not need to leave your home to participate.
To find out if you may be eligible for this study, we would like to ask you a few questions. Before answering these questions, please review the study information below.
Who is conducting the study?
Kylie Meyer, PhD Postdoctoral Fellow
School of Nursing University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
What is the purpose of the research?
The purpose of this study is to learn about how caregivers’ social support and relationships may affect their health risks and quality of life.
Who is asked to participate?
We are asking spousal (partner) caregivers to individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease or a related dementia.
Do you have to be in this study?
No, participation in this study is voluntary.
Study Procedures
The study will consist of a several parts, including:
A 1-time baseline survey that will ask you about your health, relationships, and relationship histories. This online survey will take an estimated 45-minutes to complete. You will receive $20 for completing this survey.
Daily surveys about your day-to-day experiences that will take approximately 10 to 15 minutes to complete each day, for 14 days. You will receive $5 for each survey you complete.
3-months after completing daily surveys, you will be asked to complete a 3-month follow up survey. This survey will take approximately 45-mintue to complete. You will receive $25 for completing this survey.
We are also asking caregivers in the San Antonio region to consider participating in an OPTIONAL activity. Caregivers who choose to participate in this part of the study will receive an additional $50.
- For 5 of the 14 daily survey days, you will be asked to provide saliva samples 4-times per day (at time of awakening, 30 minutes after waking, before lunch, before bedtime). Materials will be delivered by the investigator team without contact at the beginning of the study and picked up at the end. You will receive text message reminders to collect saliva samples
- Wearing a Fitbit device at night when you are sleeping during the 14-day diary period.
In addition to surveys and saliva sample collections described above, we would like to know about your experiences participating in this study and will send a satisfaction survey after you complete the daily survey portion of this study. Some participants will also be asked to complete a 30 to 45-minute telephone interview about changes in their relationships with others and social support. Those who complete an interview will receive an additional $25.
If you complete all parts of the study, besides the interview, you may receive up to $165.
All surveys will be completed online.
Risks and Benefits
The biggest risk to participating in this research study is a potential breach of confidentiality. Your participation in this study is not anonymous. We keep a record of your information so that we can send payments, send follow up surveys, and deliver study materials if you participate in the optional saliva collection portion of this study. Once the study has ended, we will delete information that can be used to identify you from our study files (ex: name, address, phone number). We do protect your information by keeping it in secure and locked files. All communications with the research team will be kept private to the extent allowable by law.
Costs and Compensation
There are no costs to participating in this research study.
You will be compensated for your time for completing the surveys. You may receive up to $165 for completing all study activities, paid on a debit gift card, or $115 if you choose not to participate in the saliva collection part of this study.
Confidentiality
During the study, all documentation is kept in secure files that are accessible only to members of the research team. All information that can be used to identify you (e.g., name, phone number) will be stored in password-protected files and will be destroyed at the end of the study. Saliva samples will be stored long-term for future analysis, but we will not label them with identifying information. When the study has ended, the research team may share the anonymous survey answers with other researchers so that additional research can be done to help people with dementia and their family caregivers.
Contact Information
You are welcome to contact the researcher or the University with any questions or concerns about the study. These additional communications will remain confidential to the extent allowable by law.
You can reach the researcher, Kylie Meyer, PhD, at: 734-620-1993 or meyerk1@uthscsa.edu
The University of Texas Health Science Center committee that reviews research on human subjects (Institutional Review Board) will answer any questions about your rights as a research subject, and take any comments or complaints you may wish to offer. You can contact the IRB by calling 210-567-8250, or by mail to IRB, UTHSCSA, Mail Code 7830, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900.
By completing the form below, you are not obligated to participate in this research study. This form is to determine whether you are eligible to participate.