E-training of Inmate Peer Caregivers for Enhancing Geriatric and End-of-life Care in Prisons

NCT05017129 | Completed Results

• 2 other identifiers: 03275R44AG057239-03
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 83
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

The demographics of the U.S. prison population are shifting at a dramatic rate requiring new approaches to prison healthcare. Current estimates suggest that there are 2.3 million incarcerated persons in the U.S. Similar to the free world, the aging of the Baby Boom generation is occurring in prisons. Notably, inmates 50 and older constitute over 20% of prisoners in state or federal facilities. From 1996-2016, there was an 280% growth in the number of state and federal prisoners age 55 or older, which is in sharp contrast to younger inmates that grew by only 3% during this time period. A surge in older adult offenders in the U.S. has not occurred but rather statutes now impose stiffer sentences, resulting in longer periods of incarceration, such as life without parole or 20+ years. At the same time, early release policies remain restrictive. As a result, sentenced offenders are living through middle and older adulthood within the confines of prisons.

Conditions

Aging

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Small-Scale Virtual Usability Testing - SUS Survey (System Usability Test)

  Small-scale virtual usability testing participants were asked to complete the 10-item System Usability Test. The SUS, an industry-standard, assesses usability, including satisfaction, functionality, ease of use, and design. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (Strongly Disagree) to 4 (Strongly Agree) and were summed and multiplied by 2.5 to compute a total scale score. The minimum value is 0 and the maximum value is 100. The means of the Likert response items are calculated to determine the SUS score. The range of scores on the System Usability Scale (SUS) is 0-100. A score of 68 or greater reflects above average usability. Higher scores reflect greater usability.

  Immediate post small-scale usability testing

• Large-Scale Usability Testing - SUS Survey (System Usability Test)

  Large-scale testing participants were asked to complete the 10-item System Usability Test. The SUS, an industry-standard, assesses usability, including satisfaction, functionality, ease of use, and design. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (Strongly Disagree) to 4 (Strongly Agree) and were summed and multiplied by 2.5 to compute a total scale score. The minimum value is 0 and the maximum value is 100. The means of the Likert response items are calculated to determine the SUS score. The range of scores on the System Usability Scale (SUS) is 0-100. A score of 68 or greater reflects above average usability. Higher scores reflect greater usability.

  Immediate post large-scale usability testing

Study Arms (1)

Just Care modules

EXPERIMENTAL

This is a within-subjects, post design with a single intervention. The intervention is a 6 module computer-based learning program for training peer caregivers in end-of-life care and one learning module for staff to implement a peer caregiving program at their respective facility.

Behavioral: Just Care

Interventions

Just Care BEHAVIORAL

The single intervention is a computer-based learning program.

Just Care modules

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Inmate Peer Caregivers:
• providing geriatric and/or EOL care at participating state prison (Aims 1 and 2 only);
• age \>18;
• able to speak and understand English; and
• able to consent.

You may not qualify if:

• Under the age of 18
• Unable to speak and understand English
• Prison Staff:
• age \>18;
• able to speak and understand English;
• able to consent; and
• have been exposed to inmate peer caregiving (e.g., through training them, oversight of a peer caregiving program, or working with inmate peer caregivers in the infirmary, personal care, or hospice area of prisons)
• Under the age of 18
• Unable to speak and understand English

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Klein Buendel, Inc.: lead
• Penn State University: collaborator
• National Institute on Aging (NIA): collaborator

Study Sites (2)

Klein Buendel, Inc.

Golden, Colorado, 80401, United States

Location

Pennsylvania State University

University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802, United States

Location

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Susan Loeb, PhD
• Organization: Pennsylvania State University

svl100@psu.edu

814.863.2236

Study Officials

• Barbara Walkosz, PhD

  Klein Buendel, Inc.

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: No
• Restrictive Agreement: No

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: INDUSTRY
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Cognitive interviews and small-scale usability will be conducted prior to conducting the full-scale testing. The full-scale learning system (6 learning modules for inmates; 1 learning module for staff) will be tested in 12 state prison settings. We plan to use a pragmatic approach. Targeted participants to test the inmate-focused modules will include both current Inmate Peer Caregivers and inmates who are naïve to the caregiving role in prison. Staff participants to test the staff-focused module include, but are not limited to security, chaplaincy, medical services, psychology/counseling, and administrative leaders. The number of user-participants is dependent on the institution's size, but our target is to recruit 12 sites (three of which will be women's prisons) and an average of 20 inmates per site (n=240 inmates) to test the six modules that are developed for inmates and an average of four prison staff per site (n=48) to test the one module for staff.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 8, 2021
• First Posted: August 23, 2021
• Study Start: June 15, 2020
• Primary Completion: December 19, 2024
• Study Completion: December 31, 2024
• Last Updated: July 31, 2026
• Results First Posted: July 31, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Locations

US (2)