Impact of Family Caregiver Training on Care of Burn Patients

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a family caregiver training program on care provision to burn patients. A quasi-experimental study was conducted with 96 family caregivers of burn patients admitted to a burn hospital in Iran. The caregivers' knowledge and training needs were measured at baseline. Four training sessions were provided for the experimental group and caregivers' practices were measured 6 weeks after discharge. Comparing the scores of knowledge and total care with its subdomains (i.e., diet and medication, wound care, itch decrease, wound scar healing, pain management, use of mobility assistive devices, and follow-up considerations) revealed a significant difference between the two groups of caregivers after the intervention (p < 0.01). The caregivers' practices regarding provision of care to burn patients were improved after attending the training program. Receiving sufficient and continuous information from admission to discharge can empower family members.