Evaluating the Impact of Training for IHSS Workers

Last registered on October 17, 2023
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Evaluating the Impact of Training for IHSS Workers
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0012289
Initial registration date
October 13, 2023

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
October 17, 2023, 1:38 PM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information

Primary Investigator

Name
Matthew Notowidigdo
Affiliation
University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Amy Finkelstein
PI Affiliation
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Contact Investigator
PI Name
David Autor
PI Affiliation
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Contact Investigator
PI Name
Anna Russo
PI Affiliation
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2023-10-16
End date
2027-06-30
Keywords
Health, Labor
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This trial investigates whether high-quality training for consumer-directed home health workers impacts health outcomes for care consumers and employment outcomes for care workers. We are conducting this study in the context of the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program, a consumer-directed, Medicaid-funded home care program in California serving elderly and disabled Medicaid recipients. Our research team will partner with the Center for Caregiver Advancement (CCA), a training provider based in California, to conduct a randomized evaluation of the impact of training for IHSS workers on labor and health care outcomes. The evaluation will enroll IHSS workers in San Bernardino County, where CCA will be expanding its program.

Participants will be randomized to either a group that receives CCA's training or a control group that does not receive training.

Participants randomized to the training group will complete a 30 hour online course that teaches fundamental caregiving skills. Training includes personal care, infection control, nutrition and body mechanics, medication adherence, and home safety. Training participants also earn an hourly wage ($16.50) while in class and a $1000 completion stipend, for total compensation of up to $1495.

Researchers will compare outcomes between IHSS providers in the two groups and between IHSS consumers who receive care from the IHSS providers in the two groups to see if training impacts health, health care, and labor market outcomes.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Autor, David et al. 2023. "Evaluating the Impact of Training for IHSS Workers." AEA RCT Registry. October 17. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.12289-1.0
Sponsors & Partners

There is information in this trial unavailable to the public. Use the button below to request access.

Request Information
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
This trial evaluates the Center for Caregiver Advancement's IHSS Basic training program. The program is a 30-hour online course for IHSS providers, which teaches fundamental caregiving skills. Training includes personal care, infection control, nutrition and body mechanics, medication adherence, and home safety. Training also includes a stipend ($16.50 per hour in training plus a completion stipend of $1000, for a total of up to $1495).
Intervention Start Date
2024-01-01
Intervention End Date
2025-09-19

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
The number of emergency department visits for consumers cared for by providers in the study, measured within 1 year of the start of training.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
For IHSS consumers:
* Any emergency department visits
* Hospital admissions (any / # of / length of stay)
* Total healthcare spending
* Falls
* Urinary tract infections
* Pressure ulcers
* Nursing facility utilization (any / # of / length of stay)

For IHSS providers:
* IHSS job retention
* IHSS hours worker
* Total earnings
* Caregiving knowledge
* Caregiver wellbeing
* Depression
* Anxiety
* Job satisfaction
* Number of consumers served
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)
Survey outcomes will be measured 0-3 months after training completion. Administrative data outcomes will be assessed 1 and 2 years after the start of training.

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Eligible applicants will be randomized to a treatment group that is offered access to the training and a control group that is not offered access.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by computer
Randomization Unit
individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
NA
Sample size: planned number of observations
2500
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
1250 treatment
1250 control
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Committee on the Use of Humans as Experimental Subjects (COUHES)
IRB Approval Date
2023-09-06
IRB Approval Number
2308001081
Analysis Plan