The Roles of Telehealth Tools in Supporting Family Caregivers: Current Evidence, Opportunities, and Limitations.

T demands for caregiving are increasing as a result of a constant rise in the aging population and patients with chronic conditions. There are more than 40 million U.S. adults serving as informal caregivers for a family member or friend (National Alliance for Caregiving & AARP, 2015). Main caregiving tasks include assisting the care recipient in activities of daily living (ADLs), performing medical/ nursing care tasks, monitoring the patient’s health and symptoms, communicating with health care professionals, and serving as the patient’s advocate when navigating the health care system. Most family caregivers do not receive any formal caregiving training but are still asked to provide such a wide array of complex tasks for their care recipient. Family caregivers need more information and training on caregiving as well as supportive tools to facilitate stress management and enhance their coping skills. In addition, family caregivers need social support and practical assistance. Telehealth tools, broadly defined as technology-based tools that bridge geographic distance, can be a promising method to deliver interventions designed for family caregivers and enhance access to resources and support. Telehealth technologies are especially important for caregivers living in rural areas or providing remote caregiving. Chi and Demiris (2015) conducted a systematic review of 65 studies that used telehealth interventions to support family caregivers. Telehealth tools that were used included videos (i.e., videoconferencing or videophone solutions), web-based interactive platforms, telephone-based technology (i.e., phone call or text message), and remote monitoring (i.e., electronic data collection and transmission). The types of interventions delivered via telehealth tools were education, consultation (including providing decision support aid), psychosocial/ cognitive-behavioral therapy (including problem-solving training), social support, data collection and monitoring, and clinical care delivery. Below are examples of each type of telehealth tool.