Readiness for hospital discharge in primary caregivers for children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Aim: To investigate existing status and factors affecting the readiness for hospital discharge in primary caregivers for children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in China.

Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is the most common childhood cancer, but there is not enough research on the readiness for hospital discharge.

Design: A cross-sectional study was performed by convenience sampling and questionnaire survey.

Methods: A self-developed questionnaire of general and clinical characteristics of patients, self-developed questionnaire of general status of family and primary caregivers, questionnaire of readiness of hospital discharge scale and social support rating scale for primary caregivers were delivered to 264 primary caregivers of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia patients. Data collection was carried out 24 h before discharge at bedside. In this study, the STROBE checklist was followed.

Results: In total, 253 patients aged 0-16 years, including their primary caregivers in the hospital, were included from November 2016 to August 2017. Based on the readiness scale, the total mean score of readiness was 157.36. Based on the social support scale, the total mean score was 42.17. According to multivariate analysis, periods of chemotherapy (p < .001), complications (p = .019), family economic situation (p = .023), understanding of leukaemia (p < .001), objective support (p = .004), subjective support (p < .001) and availability of support (p = .045) were the main influencers of readiness.

Conclusions: The readiness for hospital discharge in primary caregivers for childhood lymphoblastic leukaemia patients is not satisfactory in China.

Relevance To Clinical Practice: This study has implications for public health administration, asking for better community services and disease education. In addition, more effort should be made to provide high-quality family and primary caregiver assessments and discharge education by nurses.