Using Digital Media to Improve Dementia Care in India: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: India is undergoing a demographic transition characterized by population aging and is witnessing a high dementia rate. Although nearly 7 million people live with dementia in India, dementia awareness is poor, and current resources addressing dementia care are basic and often incomplete, duplicated, or conflicting. To address this gap, this study aims to use digital media, which has had a massive technological uptake in India, to improve dementia care in India. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper is to describe an intervention study design that examines the feasibility and acceptability of Moving Pictures India, a digital media resource to improve dementia care in India. METHODS: This study employs a mixed methods design and is divided into 4 phases: (1) video interviews with Indian caregivers and health professionals; (2) coproduction of resources; (3) pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT); and (4) dissemination and analytics. The pilot RCT will follow an experimental parallel group design with 2 arms aiming to assess the impact, feasibility, and acceptability of the developed resources. The primary outcome measures for the pilot RCT will be feasibility and acceptability, while the secondary outcome measures will be caregiver burden, mood, and quality of life. RESULTS: This study received funding from the Alzheimer’s Association in the United States in July 2021. In 2023, we will enroll 60 dementia caregivers (40 caregivers in the intervention arm and 20 in the control) for the pilot RCT. The study has been approved by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences Ethics Committee (26th IEC (BEH.SC.DIV.)/2020-21 dated November 11, 2020); the Health Ministry's Screening Committee, India (proposal ID 2020-10137); the Curtin University Human Research Ethics Committee (approval number HRE2020-0735); and the NARI Research Governance Office (site-specific approval dated March 17, 2021). CONCLUSIONS: This protocol is designed to deliver unique, coproduced, and evidence-based media resources to support caregivers of persons with dementia in India and other countries aiming to utilize digital media for dementia care. If the intervention is found feasible and acceptable, postpiloting analytics and qualitative feedback will be used to develop an implementation trial to evaluate the effectiveness of the potential low-risk high-benefit intervention in practice. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials Registry-India CTRI/2021/01/030403; http://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/pmaindet2.php?trialid=50794 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/38456