Health-related quality of life predictors for patients with stroke: A prospective longitudinal study of matched pairs of patients with stroke and family caregivers.
Yeaji Seok, Myung Kyung Lee
PMID 38716815WHAT IT FOUND
Patients' quality-of-life scores fell from admission to discharge in 158 stroke rehabilitation pairs.
Higher caregiver preparedness and sense of competence were linked to positive changes in patient quality of life, but this was an association, not a tested treatment.
Key findings
01All measured health-related quality-of-life domains deteriorated from admission to discharge, with p < .0001 for each.
02Higher caregiver preparedness, satisfaction with the patient, recognition of the consequences of care involvement, female caregiver sex and caregiving allocation were associated with positive changes in patient health-related quality of life.
03For patients, living with a spouse, higher income and higher education were associated with positive changes, while older age, dysphagia and sensorimotor impairment were associated with negative changes.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This was an observational study, so it cannot show that improving caregiver preparedness or competence caused better patient quality of life. Patients had to be alert, able to communicate and able to read questionnaires, and they were within 100 days of stroke onset, so people with severe sequelae or cognitive impairment were not represented. Caregiver preparedness and sense of competence were measured only at admission, and they may have changed during recovery. Of 236 eligible pairs contacted, 193 responded and 158 were analysed, so the final sample was smaller than the contacted group. The study was done in 16 hospitals in Daegu, South Korea, during COVID-19 restrictions that allowed only one caregiver to stay with the patient, which may limit generalisability.
Declared interests
No specific funding from any agency was reported, and the authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that making caregivers feel more prepared will improve patient quality of life. This study measured associations over time and did not test a caregiver intervention.