The Implementation Outcomes and Population Impact of a Statewide IT Deployment for Family Caregivers: Mixed Methods Study

Abstract

BackgroundIn 2022, the US Department of Health and Human Services released the first National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers, identifying actions for both government and the private sector. One of the major goals is to expand data, research, and evidence-based practices to support family caregivers. While IT tools are widely deployed in health care settings, they are rarely available at scale in community agencies. In 2019, the state of California recognized the importance of a statewide database and a platform to serve caregivers remotely by enhancing existing service supports and investing in a web-based platform, CareNav. Implementation commenced in early 2020 across all 11 California Caregiver Resource Centers. ObjectiveThis paper describes the implementation strategies and outcomes of the statewide implementation of CareNav, a web-based platform to support family caregivers. MethodsThe Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), including a recent addendum, guided this mixed methods evaluation. Two major approaches were used to evaluate the implementation process: in-depth qualitative interviews with key informants (n=82) and surveys of staff members (n=112) and caregivers (n=2229). We analyzed the interview transcripts using qualitative descriptive methods; subsequently, we identified subthemes and relationships among the ideas, mapping the findings to the CFIR addendum. For the surveys, we used descriptive statistics. ResultsWe present our findings about implementation strategies, implementation outcomes (ie, adoption, fidelity, and sustainment), and the impact on population health (organizational effectiveness and equity, as well as caregiver satisfaction, health, and well-being). The platform was fully adopted within 18 months, and the system is advancing toward sustainment through statewide collaboration. The deployment has augmented organizational effectiveness and quality, enhanced equity, and improved caregiver health and well-being. ConclusionsThis study provides a use case for technological implementation across a multisite system with diverse community-based agencies. Future research can expand the understanding of the barriers and facilitators to achieving relevant outcomes and population impact.