Illness Uncertainty in Patients Awaiting Liver Transplant.
Donald E Bailey, Jia Yao, Qing Yang
PMID 32840173WHAT IT FOUND
18 of 115 adults waiting for liver transplant scored high on illness uncertainty.
High scores were linked with lower social support and lower confidence managing symptoms.
Key findings
01Eighteen of 115 patients awaiting liver transplant had high illness uncertainty, using a total score cut-off of 100.
02Mean subscale scores on a 1 to 5 scale were 3.38 for unpredictability, 3.06 for ambiguity, 2.29 for inconsistency, and 2.12 for complexity.
03After adjusting for other factors, patients with lower social well-being or lower self-efficacy were more likely to have high total uncertainty.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The analysis used baseline survey data, so it can show associations, not causes. The sample was small and mostly non-Hispanic White, which limits generalization. The high uncertainty cut-off of 100 was based on this sample's mean plus one standard deviation, not a widely validated cut-off. Participants had to speak and read English and had no significant cognitive impairment, so findings do not apply to patients who cannot complete these questionnaires.
Declared interests
The supplied text does not include a conflict-of-interest declaration. The article is listed as supported by NIH extramural research funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that low social support or low confidence causes high uncertainty. The study used baseline survey data and can show associations only. It also did not analyze the parent trial intervention, so it does not show that any strategy reduces uncertainty.