Effects of the discharge plan on the caregiving load of people with chronic disease: Quasi-experimental study

Hospitalization due to non-transmissible chronic disease (NTCD) affects people and health institutions negatively. Healthcare systems need integral strategies to minimize this impact. Objective: To determine the effect of an anticipated care plan, structured around hospital discharge (PC-AH-US), regarding the caregiving load of people with NTCD residing in Colombia, 2019–2021. Method: This is a quasi-experimental study with pre- and post-intervention measurements. It includes 1170 participants who represented 585 chronic disease patient–caregiver pairs. We compared the PC-AH-US intervention, to the regular intervention. Results: The PC-AH-US intervention group showed better results in all dimensions when compared to the regular intervention group: Awareness 8.7 (SD: 0.7) and 6.8 (SD: 1.7); Acknowledgement of their unique conditions 11.3 (SD: 1.0) and 9.4 (SD: 1.8); Capacity to fulfill care tasks 8.8 (SD: 0.7) and 7.5 (SD: 1.5); Wellbeing 11.4 (SD: 0.90) and 8.87 (SD: 2.3); Anticipation 5.88 (SD: 0.4) and 4.7 (SD: 1.1) and Support Network 11.4 (SD: 0.8) and 9.9 (SD: 2.5). Conclusion: The PC-AH-US intervention group showed a statistically significant decrease in the caregiving load for people with NTCD (p < 00). There were no significant institutional differences in readmissions or deaths. The PC-AH-US intervention backs institutional policies meant to care for people with NTCD.