Abstract 15782: Clinicians for Care: How a Systematic Literature Review Informs Clinicians on Engaging Caregivers as Part of the Cardiovascular Care Team

IntroductionCaregivers play a vital role in the care of patients with chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease (CVD). As a result they often face added strain that impacts their health and quality of life and that of the patient. Recent legislation like the CARE Act and RAISE Family Caregiver Act have been established to recognize and assist caregivers. However, there remains a lack of cohesive, evidence-based recommendations to guide the clinical team in supporting caregivers. We set out to determine what evidence-based guidelines and interventions exist to aid the medical team in supporting caregivers of patients with CVD.MethodsWe performed a systematic review of the literature for randomized controlled trials (RCT) of interventions used to support caregivers of patients with CVD. We also reviewed the websites of national CVD organizations for consensus guidelines.ResultsWe reviewed 4273 articles in Pubmed according to our search criteria, revealing 42 RCTs. Studies were done in heart failure (26), myocardial infarction and coronary artery disease (7), coronary artery bypass surgery (6), and mixed CVD populations (3). Most interventions combined education with psychosocial or disease management support. Overall, the majority of studies indicated a positive impact on caregiver or patient outcomes. We synthesized recommendations based on the results of the studies and evidence in the caregiver literature with the acronym “CARE” (Figure 1). To support clinicians in practice, we also assembled “Clinicians for CARE” resources, including billing codes, references to resources provided by the AHA and other national organizations, and best practice guidelines.ConclusionsSynthesizing RCTs and guidelines, our team created “CARE” to aid clinicians in effectively engaging and supporting caregivers.