Effect of Educational Program on the Burden of Family Caregivers of Hemodialysis Patients

Background: Studies suggest that family caregivers of hemodialysis patients experience a high level of burden, which could lead to numerous physical and psychological problems. Despite the need for adequate training and support, these caregivers are mostly neglected, and few studies have been performed in this regard. Aim: to evaluate the effect of educational programs on the home care of hemodialysis patients and burden of their family caregivers. Method: This randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on 76 caregivers of hemodialysis patients referred to Shahid Hasheminejad Hemodialysis Center of Tehran, Iran in 2015. Subjects were divided into two groups of intervention and control (n=38). The intervention group received four training sessions on the home care of hemodialysis patients for two weeks, and the control group received routine care. Data were collected using the Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI) at the beginning and six weeks after the intervention . Data analysis was performed in SPSS V.21 using Chi-square, Fisher’s exact test, independent and paired T-test, and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: In this study, no significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of demographic characteristics. At the baseline, mean score of caregiver burden in the intervention and control groups was 88.5±11.7 and 84.9±15.1, respectively, and no significant difference was observed between the groups in this regard (P=0.30). Six weeks after the intervention, the results of independent T-test revealed a significant difference between the mean scores of caregiver burden in the intervention (58.7±6.6) and control groups (87.8±11.7) (P<0.001). Moreover, the results of paired T-test indicated that the mean score of caregiver burden reduced in the intervention group, while it increased in the control group. Implications for Practice: According to the results of this study, use of an educational program for family caregivers could be effective in reducing their burden and other problems associated with the home care of hemodialysis patients. Therefore, it is suggested that educational managers of medical centers encourage the healthcare personnel to apply such programs in order to improve the health of caregivers.