Beth Fields

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Background: Recruiting care partners (CPs) of hospitalized people living with dementia is challenging due to rapid discharge timelines and complex inpatient workflows. This study identified barriers to CP recruitment encountered during the first year of a hospital-based randomized controlled trial and the strategies implemented in response to them. Methods: A qualitative descriptive study using thematic analysis of twelve study coordination and implementation meeting transcripts was conducted. Recruitment outcomes were examined to assess changes before and after implementation of the enhanced recruitment workflow. Results: Eight recruitment barriers were identified, including fragmented electronic health record (EHR) documentation, uncertainty in CP presence, limited clinician availability, passive study promotion, and inefficient clinical–research team collaboration. Nine strategies were developed and implemented in response to these barriers. The enhanced recruitment workflow was temporally associated with an increase in average monthly enrollment from 0.25 participants (April–July 2024) to 4 participants (August 2024–December 2025). Over the same periods, the cumulative enrollment rate was 3% and 23%, respectively. Conclusions: Care partner recruitment in inpatient settings is highly context-dependent and requires iterative, implementation-informed adaptation. Effective recruitment may be supported by embedding processes into routine inpatient workflows, clarifying recruitment roles, leveraging EHR-supported identification, and maintaining close clinical–research team collaboration to respond to the unpredictable presence of care partners and short discharge windows.

Understanding that excess body weight can increase disability and limit daily occupations, occupational therapists must consider how to support patients with weight management within a larger health care system. To develop a clinical tool for health care professionals to (a) support referrals to occupational therapists to address weight management and (b) assess priorities for weight management interventions. This research utilized a co-design process with six occupational therapists from primary care to design a screening tool prototype. The design process revealed three challenges to supporting patients with excess body weight that were addressed through the design elements of the screening tool: (a) weight is a “sticky” topic, (b) negative messaging around weight can adversely impact patient care, and (c) occupational therapy involvement in weight management is impacted by a lack of referrals. This design process yielded the Occupational Therapy Health Routines Screening Tool prototype.

The number of caregivers is increasing globally making it imperative that we better understand the impact of caregiving and identify methods to address caregiver needs and health. These goals are best achieved with unified research approaches and measures that facilitate comparison across studies. Despite the need and policy support for unified research on caregiving, research often happens in silos that are diagnostic or age specific. To address this need we interviewed 33 researchers who (1) identified process, and outcome measures they commonly used in their research and (2) explained their selection. We found that researchers across the lifespan are using similar measures in their studies and are consistent in what they look for in a measure. Researchers also described barriers they face when selecting measures, including: inadequacy of current measures, familiarity, need for rigor, and measurement characteristics. These findings highlight the need for the creation and dissemination of a prioritized list of process and outcome measures being used by caregiving researchers.

Objective: To explore stroke survivors’, caregivers’, and therapists’ experiences of the implementation and perceived impacts of the Dyad-Focused Strategy Training program. Design: A qualitative descriptive study using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis. Setting: Six academic medical centers in Taiwan. Participants: Forty-one stroke survivor-caregiver dyads and 10 occupational therapists who completed the Dyad-Focused Strategy Training intervention. Intervention: The Dyad-Focused Strategy Training program is a therapist-guided, dyadic intervention focused on shared goal setting, problem-solving, and strategy development to improve stroke rehabilitation outcomes. Main Outcome Measures: Thematic analysis identified key themes related to therapists’ roles, benefits for dyads, implementation challenges, and therapists’ professional reflections. Results: Two overarching themes emerged: (1) Experiences with Dyad-Focused Strategy Training Implementation—participants emphasized the essential role of therapists, the emotional benefits of personalized strategies, and the complexity of balancing differing goals, fluctuating motivation, and emotional challenges within dyads; (2) Perceived Impact of Dyad-Focused Strategy Training on Individual, Dyadic, and Professional Outcomes—survivors reported improved independence and participation, caregivers noted reduced stress and clearer caregiving strategies, dyads described strengthened emotional bonds and communication, and therapists experienced professional growth and deeper insight into dyadic dynamics. Conclusions: Dyad-Focused Strategy Training fostered meaningful improvements in participation of stroke survivors and caregivers, survivor independence, and caregiver well-being, while contributing to therapist development. Addressing emotional and motivational challenges and providing structural support to therapists are key for successful and sustainable implementation in clinical practice.

As digital and remote research methods become more prevalent, the risk of fraudulent participants—individuals who deliberately misrepresent themselves to gain access to studies and associated incentives—has emerged as a significant challenge. These inauthentic participants threaten data validity, obscure treatment effects, and may lead to interventions being developed based on inaccurate representations of target populations. Despite the growing recognition of this issue, researchers have limited guidance on how to detect and respond to fraud when it occurs, particularly when committed by real people rather than automated systems. We present 3 case studies from our own research where participants engaged in deception to gain study incentives. We identify recurring patterns of behavior as “red” (clear signs of inauthenticity) and “yellow” (ambiguous behavior common among fraudulent participants) flags, describe how our team responded, and share lessons learned for future studies. This work aims to support researchers in identifying fraudulent participants more effectively, helping to ensure the validity and credibility of data collected in online research.

UNSTRUCTURED As digital and remote research methods become more prevalent, the risk of fraudulent participants—individuals who deliberately misrepresent themselves to gain access to studies and associated incentives—has emerged as a significant challenge. These inauthentic participants threaten data validity, obscure treatment effects, and may lead to interventions being developed based on inaccurate representations of target populations. Despite the growing recognition of this issue, researchers have limited guidance on how to detect and respond to fraud when it occurs, particularly when committed by real people rather than automated systems. We present 3 case studies from our own research where participants engaged in deception to gain study incentives. We identify recurring patterns of behavior as “red” (clear signs of inauthenticity) and “yellow” (ambiguous behavior common among fraudulent participants) flags, describe how our team responded, and share lessons learned for future studies. This work aims to support researchers in identifying fraudulent participants more effectively, helping to ensure the validity and credibility of data collected in online research.

INTRODUCTION: Care partners play a critical role in supporting hospitalized individuals with dementia. The Care Partner Hospital Assessment Tool (CHAT) is a standardized tool for identifying and training care partners, but has not been adapted for dementia care. This study aimed to modify CHAT for this population. METHODS: Using co‐design methodology, two parallel design teams—consisting of seven clinicians and five dementia care partners—suggested adaptations and shared satisfaction with the tool. RESULTS: Thematic analysis revealed three themes informing adaptation of CHAT to Dementia Care Partner Hospital Assessment Tool (D‐CHAT): (1) identifying and documenting power of attorney, (2) recognizing care partner tasks and responsibilities, and (3) providing dementia‐specific educational resources. Participants expressed high satisfaction with the final D‐CHAT. DISCUSSION: D‐CHAT represents a pioneering effort co‐designed by care partners and clinicians to enhance hospital caregiving assessments for dementia care. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: NCT05592366 Highlights: The Dementia Care Partner Hospital Assessment Tool (D‐CHAT) was created using a parallel co‐design approach with key informants — clinicians and care partners. D‐CHAT can help care partners and clinicians identify power of attorney early, recognize caregiving responsibilities, and provide dementia‐specific resources. D‐CHAT was described as ‘empowering,’ ‘comprehensive,’ ‘collaborative,’ and ‘helpful.’