# Negotiation Training to Optimize Caregiver Communication in Alzheimer's Disease

> **NIH NIH R01** · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $779,218

## Abstract

The goals of this proposal are to adapt and test a negotiation and dispute resolutions (NDR) training
program for caregivers of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), who experience conflicts when they
act as patient advocates in the health system [Stage 1A and 1B]. Teaching NDR to family caregivers has
the potential to improve caregiver communication, wellbeing, mood, and the care of the adult with
AD. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) affects more than 5 million older adults nationally, with the prevalence expected
to increase as our population ages. An integral driver in the care of older adults with AD is the family caregiver.
Our prior research has shown that family caregivers act as patient navigators for their loves ones with AD, often
interacting with the health system for a multitude of conflicts (e.g. determining if a test/medication/hospitalization
is necessary, responding to insurance denials, billing errors). A reoccurring theme is that family caregivers
experience frustration, anxiety, and stress as they deal with these health system conflicts. Whether it is spending
hours on the phone trying to get answers from a health care provider’s team or navigating complex insurance
hoops, these conflicts contribute to the burden experienced by a family caregiver. Unfortunately, family
caregivers are vastly underprepared to effectively negotiate through these conflicts. Northwestern University’s
Kellogg School of Business is an innovator in the field of negotiations and dispute resolution training. Previously,
we have tailored the negotiations training for health professionals with positive results. We hypothesize that
teaching negotiation and dispute resolution tactics to family caregivers of patients with AD will help improve
communication, caregiver stress, anxiety, and empowerment. To test this hypothesis, we aim to: Aim 1: Employ
a caregiver (user)-centered design approach to modify and tailor a negotiations and dispute resolution (NDR)
training intervention to support communication skills of family caregivers of adults with AD. Aim 2: Utilizing
Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST), conduct a randomized pilot trial of the NDR intervention that targets
better communication between caregivers and health teams, using a 2X3 full factorial design, to (2a) determine
the feasibility of delivering the intervention, and (2b) derive estimates of the effect of 3 intervention components
on changes in patient-centered outcomes at post-intervention and follow-up to inform a future RCT trial.
Exploratory Aim 3: Explore if intervention components (lectures/exercises) interact to change communication
between caregivers and health care teams at post-intervention and follow-up. The factorial design will enable
testing if the effect of a component is moderated by another component, to ensure the optimized intervention
retains components that directly or indirectly impact outcomes. We have partnered with community-based family
caregivers who will provide feedback...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10256809
- **Project number:** 5R01AG068421-02
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Lee A Lindquist
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $779,218
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-09-15 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10256809

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10256809, Negotiation Training to Optimize Caregiver Communication in Alzheimer's Disease (5R01AG068421-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10256809. Licensed CC0.

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