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Clinical trial Recruiting at 1 site Interventional Ages 21 to 80

Care Buddy: a mobile app connecting family caregivers of people with dementia to community services and support

Official title: Connecting Caregivers With Community Services: The Care Buddy Platform

Run by Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School · NCT06817876 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This project will test a mobile app called Care Buddy to help family caregivers of people with dementia find services, coordinate care, and get social and decisional support.

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Quick facts

Study typeInterventional
Ages21 Years to 80 Years
SexAll
Enrollment210 (estimated)
SponsorDuke-NUS Graduate Medical School
Academic / other
Locations1 site (Singapore, Singapore)
StatusRecruiting
StartedApril 1, 2025
Main results expectedMay 31, 2026
Study endsMay 31, 2027
Registry record updatedApril 15, 2026
Trial IDNCT06817876 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Is this trial a fit for you?

Likely a good fit

Ideal participants are English-speaking Singaporean citizens or permanent residents aged 21 or older who are family members serving as primary informal caregivers for at least six months (and planning to continue for two years), are familiar with basic digital technology, reachable by phone, score ≥9 on the 6‑item Zarit Burden scale, and have intact cognition per the AMT if aged ≥65.

Probably not a fit

Caregivers of people already in long-term residential care, non-family or short-term caregivers, those who cannot read English or lack basic digital access or skills, and caregivers with low burden scores are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

Over five years the team will design and build the Care Buddy app, then refine it with caregivers in a proof-of-concept phase and measure feasibility, acceptability, and satisfaction in a proof-of-value phase. They will next run a multi-centre, two-arm randomized controlled trial comparing Care Buddy to usual care to measure effects on caregiver burden, service uptake, and cost-effectiveness. Finally, investigators plan to scale up deployment across multiple centres in Singapore and monitor adoption, outcomes, and implementation barriers. Key outcomes include caregiver burden (Zarit), user satisfaction, community service utilization, care coordination metrics, and economic analyses.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, Care Buddy could make it easier for caregivers to access services and support, reduce caregiver burden, and improve care coordination and outcomes for people with dementia.

How similar studies have gone: Previous digital-support programs for dementia caregivers have shown mixed but promising benefits in pilot studies, but large multi-centre RCTs and fully integrated, service-linking platforms at scale remain limited.

Who can join: the full rules

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria 
Inclusion Criteria:

* The inclusion criteria for patients are

  1. Singaporean/Permanent residents
  2. Age 21 years of age or older
  3. 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
  4. An active primary caregiver for at least 6 months, and planning to remain the primary caregiver for the next 2 years
  5. Is a family member of the patient with dementia
  6. Can read and write in English
  7. Accessible by telephone to schedule interviews
  8. Has familiarity with use of technology (e.g., computers, tablets, or internet) and is able to complete surveys, forms using digital technology
  9. Intact cognition determined through the Abbreviated Mental Test (AMT) for those who are ≥ 65 years old.
  10. Caregivers who score \>=9 on the 6-item Zarit Burden scale

Exclusion Criteria:

* 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.

Where it's running

  • Duke-NUS
    Singapore, Singapore, Singapore     Recruiting

Study contacts

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

How to take part

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
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Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.