A Mobile Informatics Solution to Assist Caregivers in Care Coordination and Monitoring Social Engagement

NCT07773493 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: Study000274332R44AG063683-04
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 200
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study will evaluate the Social Reminder System, a mobile informatics system designed to support persons with memory concerns and their care partners. The system is intended to aid social integration for persons with memory concerns and improve care coordination and reduce caregiver burden among caregivers. Researchers will enroll 100 persons with memory concerns and their care partners. Half of the dyads will be randomly assigned to receive the Social Reminder System technology for a 6-month period, and the other half will be randomly assigned to the usual care control group. Participants will complete baseline, 3-month, and 6-month surveys. A subset of participants who receive the technology will also be asked to complete a semi-structured interview after the 6-month survey.

Conditions

Mild Cognitive Impairment; Memory Disorders; Dementia; Social Isolation; Caregiver Burden

Keywords

Social Reminder System; SRS; Persons with memory concerns; Social engagement; Mobile health; Care coordination; Alzheimer's disease and related dementias; Mild-to-moderate memory impairment; Caregiver stress

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (9)

• Change in Social Interaction Frequency and Quality

  Change in frequency and quality of social interactions reported by persons with memory concerns and care partners, including in-person visits, phone calls, mail and letters, and computer-mediated communication.

  Baseline to 6 months

• Change in Pleasant Events and Social Engagement as Assessed by the Pleasant Events Schedule-Alzheimer's Disease

  Change in pleasant events and social engagement for persons with memory concerns, assessed using the Pleasant Events Schedule-AD.

  Baseline to 6 months

• Change in Social Support Score

  Change in social support among persons with memory concerns and care partners, assessed using a five-item social support scale.

  Baseline to 6 months

• Change in Loneliness

  Change in loneliness among persons with memory concerns and care partners, assessed using the UCLA Loneliness Scale.

  Baseline to 6 months

• Change in Caregiver Burden

  Change in caregiver burden among care partners, assessed using the Zarit Burden Interview.

  Baseline to 6 months

• Change in Role Captivity Score

  Change in role captivity among care partners, assessed using a 4-item role captivity scale.

  Baseline to 6 months

• Change in Role Overload Score

  Change in role overload among care partners, assessed using a 3-item role overload scale.

  Baseline to 6 months

• Change in Anxiety as Assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale

  Change in anxiety among persons with memory concerns and care partners, assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

  Baseline to 6 months

• Change in Depression as Assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale

  Change in depression among persons with memory concerns and care partners, assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

  Baseline to 6 months

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Perceived Function, Utility, and Barriers to Engagement With the Social Reminder System

  Up to 1 month after completion of the 6-month follow-up survey

• Change in Service Utilization Among Persons With Memory Concerns

  Baseline to 6 months

• Change in Negative Health Transitions Among Persons With Memory Concerns

  Baseline to 6 months

• Change in Quality of Life as Assessed by the Adapted Quality of Life-Alzheimer's Disease Measure

  Baseline to 6 months

• Change in Community Engagement as Assessed by the 15-Item Community Engagement Scale

  Baseline to 6 months

Study Arms (2)

Social Reminder System

EXPERIMENTAL

Dyads randomly assigned to this arm will receive the Social Reminder System technology for a 6-month period. The Social Reminder System app is designed to provide memory prompts to persons with memory concerns on an in-home tablet before and during social visits. Care partners will also receive a log of visitors to promote care coordination.

Behavioral: Social Reminder System

Usual Care Control

NO INTERVENTION

Dyads randomly assigned to this arm will receive usual care control. The attention control group will receive a 3-month contact call and a 6-month contact call from the research coordinator. Free information resources, such as brochures or websites of the Alzheimer's Association, may be provided.

Interventions

Social Reminder System BEHAVIORAL

The Social Reminder System app is designed to provide memory prompts to persons with memory concerns on an in-home tablet before and during social visits. Individuals who are part of a person with memory concerns' trusted circle may download a free smartphone app and save a photo of themselves, their names, and familial relationship description that are shared with the person with memory concerns' display. When trusted circle members are within a 10 meter range of the tablet, the person with memory concerns receives a notification that a visitor is in range. Reminders continue to appear on the tablet throughout the visit and cease once the visitor is out of range. The care partner will also receive a log of visitors, including names, dates, and beginning and ending times of each visit.

Social Reminder System

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• Persons with memory concerns must be English speaking.
• Persons with memory concerns must self-report a healthcare provider visit due to memory concerns or memory related diagnosis by a physician or other qualified health care provider consistent with having mild-to-moderate memory impairment.
• Persons with memory concerns must be over the age of 65.
• Persons with memory concerns must be able to formally consent or assent to participate in the study.
• Persons with memory concerns must have internet access.
• Care partners of persons with memory concerns must speak English.
• Care partners must be 18 years of age and over.
• Care partners must self-identify as the primary caregiver for the person with memory concerns.
• Care partners must indicate a willingness to use the Social Reminder System as well as to being randomized to a control group.
• Care partners must have a mobile phone with internet access in order to install and use the care partner app.

You may not qualify if:

• Those who do not meet the criteria above will be excluded.
• Persons with memory concerns with severe or no dementia are not eligible.
• Individuals who score below 6 and above 24 on the TICS-40 will not be eligible.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Minnesota: lead
• National Institute on Aging (NIA): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University Of Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Memory Disorders; Cognitive Dysfunction; Dementia; Social Isolation; Caregiver Burden; Alzheimer Disease

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Cognition Disorders; Neurocognitive Disorders; Mental Disorders; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Social Behavior; Behavior; Stress, Psychological; Behavioral Symptoms; Tauopathies; Neurodegenerative Diseases

Study Officials

• Jude Mikal, PhD

  University of Minnesota

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Hannah Wheeler

CONTACT

612-624-2642; hwheeler@umn.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: The research assistant administering baseline and follow-up surveys will be blinded to randomization.
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Half of the dyads will be randomly assigned to receive the Social Reminder System technology for a 6-month period and the other half will be randomly assigned to the usual care control group.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 13, 2026
• First Posted: August 19, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): November 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): March 1, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2028
• Last Updated: August 19, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-08

Locations

US (1)