CO-IMPACT Toolkit

Most adults with chronic health conditions like diabetes have family members or friends who are regularly involved in their medical and self-care. These family supporters (called ‘Care Partners’ in this program) are an important resource who can help people with diabetes increase their confidence, their ability to manage diabetes day-to-day, and their active involvement in their healthcare. Many studies have shown that adults with active Care Partners have better diabetes outcomes. However, healthcare teams lack structured and realistic approaches to work with Care Partners.

Who Can Use These Tools? This toolkit contains materials from the CO-IMPACT Program in a format that is flexible for use in various settings. The CO-IMPACT Program is designed to be used by healthcare professionals, adults with diabetes, or Care Partners. These materials were originally developed and tested for adults with type 2 diabetes, but they can be helpful for adults with other types of diabetes or other chronic health conditions.

CO-IMPACT materials may be used without further permission by individuals, family, or healthcare professionals for direct personal or patient care. If interested in use for research or commercial applications, please contact our team at complexcaring@pitt.edu to discuss permission.

The toolkit was developed as part of a Veterans Health Administration research study of a program titled Caring Others Increasing EngageMent in PACT (CO-IMPACT) (VA Health Services Research and Development Grant IIR 14-074). 

CO-IMPACT Tool Descriptions

The goal of the CO-IMPACT Program is to provide evidence-based, structured approaches to working with patients’ Care Partners that improve patient engagement in care and health outcomes. The CO-IMPACT toolkit contains information on the sections below and other resources available. 

  • Fundamentals of Patient-Care Partner-Healthcare Provider Teamwork - Adults who have more family support for their health care are better able to stick to their daily healthcare regimen, and they have better health (with fewer complications) in the long run. Importantly, most adults with chronic health conditions want their healthcare providers to involve their Care Partners in their care. 

  • Intro Session Materials - This one-time health coaching session helps the Care Partner get up to speed on the patient's diabetes-related care, and it teaches the pair how to set and follow through on patient health goals.

  • Handbook - The patient-Care Partner handbook contains useful information on diabetes care support that was generated by our research, and serves as a reliable reference for patients and Care Partners.

  • Check-In Calls - These calls help monitor how well the patient is managing their diabetes, offer suggestions to the patient and Care Partner about how they can address any issues, and provide feedback to empower the patient and encourage collaborative action planning with their Care Partner.

  • Visit Preparation  - How often do you leave a medical visit feeling satisfied that your healthcare providers heard your concerns and responded to them? These calls help Care Partners and patients plan how to better communicate with their healthcare team.

TOOLKIT ACCESS FORM

Please fill out the brief survey below to help us better understand how you plan to use these products. After the form is submitted, you will be redirected to the CO-IMPACT toolkit link where you can find downloadable files. Please bookmark or save the toolkit URL you receive.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at complexcaring@pitt.edu.  

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