Telehealth-delivered Peer Support to Improve Quality of Life Among Veterans With Multimorbidity

Launched by VA OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT · Sep 26, 2022

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

The VetASSIST study is a clinical trial designed to see if virtual health coaching from fellow Veterans can help improve the quality of life for Veterans dealing with multiple chronic health issues. This program will connect Veterans with health coaches who understand their unique challenges and can provide support, education, and resources over the course of a year. The aim is to help participants better manage both their physical and mental health.

To be eligible for this study, participants must be Veterans who have visited a VA primary care clinic at least once in the past year and have three or more chronic health conditions affecting different parts of their bodies. They also need to meet at least two additional criteria related to their health challenges, such as having a chronic condition, experiencing frailty, or taking many medications. Participants will need access to a device with a camera for online meetings and should be willing to engage in health coaching sessions and surveys. This study is currently recruiting participants and aims to offer valuable support to those facing complex healthcare needs.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Veteran patient receiving primary care from VA Puget Sound
• • Complex multimorbidity (\>=3 chronic conditions in \>=3 body systems based on AHRQ Chronic Condition Index)
• • Meets \>=2 criterion from NICE multimorbidity guidelines: 1) have a chronic physical and mental health condition (via ICD-10 codes in CDW and the CCI); 2) frailty (determined by the JEN Frailty Index available in VA data, confirmed via self-reported PRISMA-7 during the eligibility screening; 3) frequent emergency care (\>=1 VA emergency department visit in past year via CDW); 4) polypharmacy (\>=10 prescribed medications via CDW), or 5) significant treatment burden (score \>22 on the self-reported Multimorbidity Treatment Burden Questionnaire at study screening).
• • Inclusion criteria assessed via the phone screen includes frailty; treatment burden; and willingness to use a either a phone or an Internet-connected device with a web camera and an email address and/or ability to receive text messages to ensure receipt of VVC visit links.
• • Agree to participate in the health coaching sessions and surveys if assigned to intervention group
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Not fluent in English
• • Severe hearing loss
• • No phone access and/or missing phone number
• • Missing address
• • Diagnosis of dementia or severe cognitive impairment within last year
• • Diagnosis of end stage renal disease or on dialysis within last year
• • Receipt of palliative or hospice care in the past year
• • Receipt of nursing home care in past year (Stop codes: 650, 651,119,121)
• • Currently living in a nursing home, skilled nursing facility, rehabilitation facility, or long-term care facility
• • Behavior flags in EHR
• • Active treatment for non-melanoma skin cancer diagnosis
• • Diagnosis of substance use dependence/abuse disorder in last year (excluding tobacco)
• • Diagnosis of psychotic disorder in last year
• • Pregnant or planning to become pregnant in next 6 months
• • Score of \>8 (severe risk) on self-reported AUDIT-C questions on eligibility screen