Assessing Family Caregiver Readiness for Hospital Discharge of Patients With Serious or Life-Limiting Illness Using Electronic Health Record and Self-Reported Data

Authors

• Joan M. Griffin, Mayo Clinic
• Diane E. Holland, Mayo Clinic
• Catherine E. Vanderboom, Mayo Clinic
• Brystana G. Kaufman, Duke University
• Allison M. Gustavson, Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System
• Jeanine Ransom, Mayo Clinic
• Jay Mandrekar, Mayo Clinic
• Ann Marie Dose, Mayo Clinic
• Cory Ingram, Mayo Clinic
• Zhi Ven Fong, Mayo Clinic
• Ellen Wild, Mayo Clinic
• Marianne E. Weiss, Marquette UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-2025

Publisher

Wiley

Source Publication

Health Services Research

Source ISSN

1475-6773

Original Item ID

DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.14441

Abstract

Objective

To assess how patient and caregiver factors influence caregiver readiness for hospital discharge in palliative care patients.

Study Setting and Design

This transitional care study uses cross-sectional data from a randomized controlled trial conducted from 2018 to 2023 testing an intervention for caregivers of hospitalized adult patients with a serious or life-limiting illness who received a palliative care consult prior to transitioning out of the hospital.

Data Sources and Analytical Sample

Caregiver readiness was measured with the Family Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale (n = 231). Caregiver demographic, intra- and interpersonal factors were self-reported. Patient demographic, comorbidity score, and risk score for complicated discharge planning were extracted from electronic health records. Stepwise regression models estimated variance explained (r2) in caregiver readiness for patient hospital discharge.

Principal Findings

Patient demographics and complexity were not statistically associated with caregiver readiness for discharge. Caregiver depressive symptoms, poor caregiver-patient relationship quality, and fewer hours spent caregiving prior to hospitalization explained 29% of the variance in caregiver readiness.

Conclusions

Reliance on patient data may not be sufficient for explaining caregiver readiness for discharge. Assessing caregiver factors may be a better alternative for identifying caregivers at risk for low discharge readiness and those in need of additional support.

Trial Registration: ClinitcalTrials.gov on November 13, 2017, (No. NCT03339271)

Comments

Health Services Research, Vol. 60, No. 4 (January 2025): e14441. DOI.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

Recommended Citation

Griffin, Joan M.; Holland, Diane E.; Vanderboom, Catherine E.; Kaufman, Brystana G.; Gustavson, Allison M.; Ransom, Jeanine; Mandrekar, Jay; Dose, Ann Marie; Ingram, Cory; Fong, Zhi Ven; Wild, Ellen; and Weiss, Marianne E., "Assessing Family Caregiver Readiness for Hospital Discharge of Patients With Serious or Life-Limiting Illness Using Electronic Health Record and Self-Reported Data" (2025). College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications. 1152.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/nursing_fac/1152