Does the child's health influence the caregiver's health using the EQ-5D instruments?
Janine Verstraete, Des Scott
PMID 32161825WHAT IT FOUND
Caregivers’ own health ratings did not improve over 3 days, but caregiver-reported child health improved, and the two ratings were closely related on each day.
Key findings
01Children’s proxy-rated VAS improved from 73.03 to 83.7, while caregivers’ own VAS change over time was not significant.
02Caregiver-reported child VAS and caregiver self-rated VAS showed a large significant correlation on all 3 days.
03The child’s proxy VAS accounted for 21% of variance in caregiver VAS, and 18% on the second day.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
No treatment was assigned, so this observational study cannot show that improving the child’s health improves caregiver health. Children’s illness severity and pre-morbid function were not measured, so the proxy VAS change may not match the child’s actual clinical condition. Caregiver pre-morbid function and stressors were not measured, so their own health and social circumstances may explain their scores. The child’s health was rated by the caregiver proxy, not by an independent measure. Only 50 caregivers were analysed, and 42 and 36 completed the later time points, so later estimates rest on fewer people. Only English-reading caregivers were included, so results may not apply to families speaking other South African languages. Children who were critically ill in intensive care, and children with chronic conditions or disability, were excluded, so the findings do not speak to those families.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that improving the child’s health improves caregiver health. The caregiver’s own VAS change was not significant, and this was an observational study with no treatment assigned.