DementiaNCT06817876
Connecting Caregivers With Community Services: The Care Buddy Platform
A study testing Care Buddy in people with Dementia, run by Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School at 1 site in Singapore.
Trial summary
The study aims to develop a mobile-app (Care Buddy) which will be a one-stop integrated source of information and technology-based solutions for caregivers of people with dementia (PWDs). Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 21 to 80 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Dementia
- What is being tested?
- Care Buddy
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 210 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSingapore
- Study dates
- 1 Apr 2025to 31 May 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 21 to 80 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- The inclusion criteria for patients are
- Singaporean/Permanent residents
- Age 21 years of age or older
- Main person or one of the main persons involved in making decisions regarding treatment patient receives or responsible for ensuring the well-being of the patient
- An active primary caregiver for at least 6 months, and planning to remain the primary caregiver for the next 2 years
- Is a family member of the patient with dementia
Show all 11Show fewer
- Can read and write in English
- Accessible by telephone to schedule interviews
- Has familiarity with use of technology (e.g., computers, tablets, or internet) and is able to complete surveys, forms using digital technology
- Intact cognition determined through the Abbreviated Mental Test (AMT) for those who are ≥ 65 years old.
- Caregivers who score >=9 on the 6-item Zarit Burden scale
Who cannot join
- Caregivers of patients staying in nursing home or other long-term care facility with no intention of being discharged will not be eligible however, if the patient is admitted to respite care for short/long term duration after being recruited, caregivers can continue to participate.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Singapore1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Duke-NUS
Singapore, Singapore
Shimoni Shah, MPH, 65 65161769 ext. 61769, shimoni@nus.edu.sg
Chetna Malhotra, MD, MPH
About this study
The study aims to develop a mobile-app (Care Buddy) which will be a one-stop integrated source of information and technology-based solutions for caregivers of people with dementia (PWDs). Study aims to bring caregivers into closer partnerships with the wider ecosystem (e.g., healthcare practitioners, community services, peer support, and care service providers) which will ultimately improve outcomes for both PWDs and their caregivers.
Read the detailed description
This is a 5-year study with various stages: 1) proof-of-concept stage to design and develop the Care buddy intervention, 2) proof-of-value stage to assess the feasibility, acceptability and satisfaction with the Care buddy intervention among informal caregivers of PWDs, 3) test-bedding stage to assess the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the Care buddy intervention versus usual care among informal caregivers of PWDs with help of a multi-centre 2-arm RCT and 4) deployment stage to scale up the intervention at multiple centres across Singapore, monitor its adoption and outcomes and assess any organizational and individual barriers to adoption.
By the end of the proposed five-year project, investigators aim to develop and evaluate the technology as well as achieve widespread adoption among caregivers of PWDs. Investigators want to enable easy access to information, provide decisional and social support, improve the reach and uptake of existing community service providers, and assist with coordination among multiple informal and professional caregivers through the journey of dementia caregiving and into the bereavement phase.
- Conditions
- Dementia
- Being tested
- Care Buddy
- Medical subject headings
- Dementia
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Care BuddyDevice
Care Buddy mobile intervention will be a one-stop solution for caregivers of dementia patients and help them in their care-giving journey by providing them solutions to manage behavioural problems, physical conditions of their loved one. The app will be multi-component and will provide tools for the caregiver to manage their stress and burden. It will provide information on dementia, list of service providers, information on grief, financial support. This app will provide a platform for all enrolled caregivers to chat with each other and provide social support.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| CareBuddy | Experimental | Caregivers of person with dementia who will be randomized in this arm will have access to the CareBuddy mobile app on their phone. They will be using this app for 1 year and will be followed up every 2 months. Receives: Device: Care Buddy |
| Usual care | No intervention | Caregivers of person with dementia who will be randomized in this arm will continue usual care for their loved one. They will be enrolled for 1 year and will be followed up every 2 months. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Caregiver Psychological well-being
Flourish - range - 8 - 56, high score represents a person with many psychological resources and strengths
Measured: 1 year from data collection
Caregiver social scale
Friendship scale - The score range is 0-24. A high score represents social connectedness and a score of "0" complete social isolation
Measured: 1 year from data collection
Caregiver Dementia Knowledge
The Dementia Knowledge Assessment Tool - range - 0-21. High score equals to higher knowledge of dementia.
Measured: 1 year from data collection
Caregiver Impact
Revised Memory \& Behavior Problem checklist - range - 0-96 Higher score indicates increased impact.
Measured: 1 year from data collection
Caregiver Burden
Zarit Burden scale - range 0-88. 0 - 21 little or no burden, 21 - 40 mild to moderate burden, 41 - 60 moderate to severe burden, 61 - 88 severe burden >34 - clinically significant burden.
Measured: 1 year from data collection
Caregiver Stress
Perceived Stress Scale: Scoring: PSS scores are obtained by reversing responses (e.g., 0 = 4, 1 = 3, 2 = 2, 3 = 1 \& 4 = 0) to the four positively stated items (items 4, 5, 7, \& 8) and then summing across all scale items.
Measured: 1 year from data collection
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted10 Feb 2025
- Study start1 Apr 2025
- Primary completion31 May 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion31 May 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for DementiaStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 210 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Khoo Teck Puat Hospital
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Chetna Malhotra, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06817876
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2022-309
- Status last verified
- Oct 2025
- First submitted
- 5 Feb 2025
- Last updated
- 15 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 15 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Connecting Caregivers With Community Services: The Care Buddy Platform
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06817876
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 2022-309
- Conditions
- Dementia
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 210 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Duke-NUS Graduate Medical SchoolUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Khoo Teck Puat Hospital
- Study start
- 1 Apr 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 May 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 May 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 10 Feb 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The study aims to develop a mobile-app (Care Buddy) which will be a one-stop integrated source of information and technology-based solutions for caregivers of people with dementia (PWDs). Study aims to bring caregivers into closer partnerships with the wider ecosystem (e.g., healthcare practitioners, community services, peer support, and care service providers) which will ultimately improve outcomes for both PWDs and their caregivers.
Detailed description
This is a 5-year study with various stages: 1) proof-of-concept stage to design and develop the Care buddy intervention, 2) proof-of-value stage to assess the feasibility, acceptability and satisfaction with the Care buddy intervention among informal caregivers of PWDs, 3) test-bedding stage to assess the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the Care buddy intervention versus usual care among informal caregivers of PWDs with help of a multi-centre 2-arm RCT and 4) deployment stage to scale up the intervention at multiple centres across Singapore, monitor its adoption and outcomes and assess any organizational and individual barriers to adoption.
By the end of the proposed five-year project, investigators aim to develop and evaluate the technology as well as achieve widespread adoption among caregivers of PWDs. Investigators want to enable easy access to information, provide decisional and social support, improve the reach and uptake of existing community service providers, and assist with coordination among multiple informal and professional caregivers through the journey of dementia caregiving and into the bereavement phase.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| CareBuddy | Experimental | Device: Care BuddyCaregivers of person with dementia who will be randomized in this arm will have access to the CareBuddy mobile app on their phone. They will be using this app for 1 year and will be followed up every 2 months. |
| Usual care | No intervention | –Caregivers of person with dementia who will be randomized in this arm will continue usual care for their loved one. They will be enrolled for 1 year and will be followed up every 2 months. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 21 to 80 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (11 listed)
- The inclusion criteria for patients are
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Caregivers of patients staying in nursing home or other long-term care facility with no intention of being discharged will not be eligible however, if the patient is admitted to respite care for short/long term duration after being recruited, caregivers can continue to participate.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Care BuddyCare Buddy mobile intervention will be a one-stop solution for caregivers of dementia patients and help them in their care-giving journey by providing them solutions to manage behavioural problems, physical conditions of their loved one. The app will be multi-component and will provide tools for the caregiver to manage their stress and burden. It will provide information on dementia, list of service providers, information on grief, financial support. This app will provide a platform for all enrolled caregivers to chat with each other and provide social support. | Device | CareBuddy |
Primary outcome
Caregiver Psychological well-being
Time frame: 1 year from data collection
Flourish - range - 8 - 56, high score represents a person with many psychological resources and strengths
Caregiver social scale
Time frame: 1 year from data collection
Friendship scale - The score range is 0-24. A high score represents social connectedness and a score of "0" complete social isolation
Caregiver Dementia Knowledge
Time frame: 1 year from data collection
The Dementia Knowledge Assessment Tool - range - 0-21. High score equals to higher knowledge of dementia.
Caregiver Impact
Time frame: 1 year from data collection
Revised Memory \& Behavior Problem checklist - range - 0-96 Higher score indicates increased impact.
Caregiver Burden
Time frame: 1 year from data collection
Zarit Burden scale - range 0-88. 0 - 21 little or no burden, 21 - 40 mild to moderate burden, 41 - 60 moderate to severe burden, 61 - 88 severe burden >34 - clinically significant burden.
Caregiver Stress
Time frame: 1 year from data collection
Perceived Stress Scale: Scoring: PSS scores are obtained by reversing responses (e.g., 0 = 4, 1 = 3, 2 = 2, 3 = 1 \& 4 = 0) to the four positively stated items (items 4, 5, 7, \& 8) and then summing across all scale items.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 15 Apr 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Care Buddy in people with Dementia, run by Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School at 1 site in Singapore.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 11 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 15 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Singapore. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Chetna Malhotra, MD, MPH (+65 65165692, chetna.malhotra@duke-nus.edu.sg), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Caregiver Psychological well-being (time frame: 1 year from data collection). The study lists 6 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 15 Apr 2026.