Enhancing Caregivers' quality of life through a web-based person-centered solution (TechQoL4Carers): protocol for a mixed methods pilot trial

Abstract

[Abstract] Background: Informal care is a social challenge that impacts the daily life and quality of life (QoL) of caregivers. While care has evidence of positive aspects, it can also have negative impacts on mental, physical, economic, and social well-being. Nowadays, health, social, and care systems for informal caregivers are needed, from a person-centered perspective, to promote their QoL, health, and empowerment. Technology is a promising tool to provide personalized services.

Objective: This study aims to develop an innovative care-centered technology solution to enhance caregivers’ QoL, care impact, occupational balance, health self-management, and empowerment.

Methods: A mixed methods pilot trial was designed as a single-arm open-label study. Participants will be caregivers of people with disabilities or older people, recruited through direct care centers. Caregivers will engage in a participatory process of developing, testing, and validating the TechQoL4Carers project platform, CuidaconTIC; a web-based platform to improve their QoL, impact of care, occupational balance, health self-management, and empowerment. The development of this trial will refine the CuidaconTIC platform, which is based on person-centered development, participatory design techniques, and an iterative process. A total of 54 caregivers will participate in a 3-month intervention involving the use of the CuidaconTIC platform and the Xiaomi Smart Band 7 wristband. Standardized assessment tools (EQ-5D-5L, Care-Related Quality of Life, Zarit Burden Interview, Caregiver Strain Index, Occupational Balance Questionnaire-Spanish Version, Psychological Empowerment Instrument, and the System Usability Scale) and a self-designed tool (Satisfaction-Q) will be used at 3 time points to collect information about usability, satisfaction, and project variables. Continuous information will be obtained from the platform (My week-Q) and the wearable wristband (physical activity and sleep). An interview will be conducted to gain in-depth knowledge about participants’ perspectives. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee for Research and Teaching of the Universidade da Coruña (2023_019) and registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. Participation will be entirely voluntary, with informed consent obtained from each participant. Detailed information sheets and informed consent forms will be provided. The data of the participants will be collected in a pseudonymized form. Once the study has been completed, any possibility of participant identification will be eliminated.

Results: Financial support for this project was received on December 1, 2022. This protocol was submitted after data collection but before analysis. Data collection began in May 2024 and ended in March 2025. By October 2025, 62 participants had been recruited. We expect to publish our results in June 2026.

Conclusions: This protocol focuses on the study of the social challenge of quality of life of caregivers, mostly women, and on reducing the digital gap and promoting inclusion, through a service that places people and care at the center.