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Effectiveness of palliative care consultation service on caregiver burden over time between terminally ill cancer and non-cancer family caregivers

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Abstract

Purpose

The responsibility of taking care of terminal patients is accepted as a role of family members in Taiwan. Only a few studies have focused on the effect of palliative care consultation service (PCCS) on caregiver burden between terminal cancer family caregivers (CFCs) and non-cancer family caregivers (NCFCs). Therefore, the purpose of this study is to address the effect of PCCS on caregiver burden between CFC and NCFC over time.

Methods

A prospective longitudinal study was conducted in a medical center in northern Taiwan from July to November 2017. The participants were both terminally ill cancer and non-cancer patients who were prepared to receive PCCS, as well as their family caregivers. Characteristics including family caregivers and terminal patients and Family Caregiver Burden Scale (FCBS) were recorded pre-, 7, and 14 days following PCCS. A generalized estimating equation model was used to analyze the change in the level of family caregiver burden (FCB) between CFC and NCFC.

Results

The study revealed that there were no statistically significant differences in FCB between CFC and NCFC 7 days and 14 days after PCCS (p > 0.05). However, FCB significantly decreased in both CFC and NCFC from pre-PCCS to 14 days after PCCS (β = − 12.67, p = 0.013). PPI of patients was the key predictor of FCB over time following PCCS (β = 1.14, p = 0.013).

Conclusions

This study showed that PCCS can improve FCB in not only CFC but also NCFC. We suggest that PCCS should be used more widely in supporting family caregivers of terminally ill patients to reduce caregiver burden.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are very grateful to the participant in the study. We also thank the staff of the Department of Nursing for their dedicated help and assistance with participant recruitment.

Funding

This study was supported by the Tri-Service General Hospital (TSGH-C106-127) and Ministry of National Defense-Medical Affairs Bureau (MAB-106-062).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nursing, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei City, Taiwan

    Li-Fen Wu, Yu-Chun Hung, Li-Fang Chang & Hsueh-Hsing Pan

  2. School of Nursing, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei City, Taiwan

    Li-Fen Wu, Yu-Chun Hung, Li-Fang Chang & Hsueh-Hsing Pan

  3. Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan

    Li-Fen Wu & Li-Fang Chang

  4. School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei City, Taiwan

    Chin Lin

  5. Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei City, Taiwan

    Ching-Liang Ho

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  1. Li-Fen Wu
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Correspondence to Hsueh-Hsing Pan.

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Wu, LF., Lin, C., Hung, YC. et al. Effectiveness of palliative care consultation service on caregiver burden over time between terminally ill cancer and non-cancer family caregivers. Support Care Cancer 28, 6045–6055 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-020-05449-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-020-05449-2

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