Family caregiver outcomes after participating in a Hospital-based family involvement program after major gastrointestinal surgery: a subgroup analysis of a patient preferred cohort study.
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Kreca, Sani
van Dieren, Susan
van der Wal-Huisman, Hanneke
Romijn, Johannes A
Chaboyer, Wendy
Nieveen van Dijkum, Els Jm
Eskes, Anne M
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Engaging families in postsurgical care is potentially beneficial for improving cancer patient outcomes and quality of care. We developed a family involvement program (FIP) and in this study, we aim to evaluate the impact of the FIP on family caregiver burden and well-being. Moreover, we aim to assess the fidelity of the program. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a preplanned subgroup analysis of a patient-preferred prospective cohort study that included family caregivers of patients who underwent major oncological surgery for gastrointestinal tumors. Only patient-nominated family caregivers could participate in the FIP. Caregivers received structured training in fundamental caregiving tasks from healthcare professionals and then actively participated in these tasks. Caregiver burden and wellbeing were measured four times (at hospital admission, at hospital discharge, and at one and three months post-hospital discharge) using the Caregiver Strain Index+ (CSI+) and the Care-related Quality of Life instrument (CarerQoL-7D). The fidelity of the FIP was assessed by recording completion of care activities. In addition, family caregivers were asked whether they would participate in the FIP again. RESULTS: Most of the 152 family caregivers were female (77.6%), and their mean age was 61.3 years (SD=11.6). Median CSI+ scores ranged between -1 and 0 and remained below the cutoff point of experiencing burden. CarerQoL-7D results indicated no significant differences in family caregivers' well-being over time. Upon discharge, over 75% of the family caregivers stated that they would recommend the FIP to others. The highest compliance with all fundamental care activities was observed during postoperative days 2 to 4. CONCLUSION: The family caregivers of oncological surgical patients who participated in the FIP exhibited acceptable levels of caregiver burden and well-being. These findings suggest that the FIP is a valuable intervention to equip family caregivers with the skills to navigate the uncertain period following a patient's hospital discharge.
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International Journal of Surgery
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© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CC BY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal.
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Surgery
Public health
Clinical sciences
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Musters, SC; Kreca, S; van Dieren, S; van der Wal-Huisman, H; Romijn, JA; Chaboyer, W; Nieveen van Dijkum, EJ; Eskes, AM; ARTIS Consortium, , Family caregiver outcomes after participating in a Hospital-based family involvement program after major gastrointestinal surgery: a subgroup analysis of a patient preferred cohort study., Int J Surg, 2024