Effects of the Internet-based rehabilitation information sharing program on psychological stress of family caregivers of inpatients: A non-randomized controlled study

Abstract

The psychological impact of Internet-based rehabilitation information provision on family caregivers of inpatients has not yet been investigated. This study investigated the impact of the Internet-based rehabilitation information sharing program on anxiety and depression among family caregivers of inpatients. Participants were patients admitted to a rehabilitation hospital and their families. The Internet and Communication Technology (ICT) group received weekly reports with photos and videos showing rehabilitation progress and patients’ activities of daily living, whereas the control group received only conventional care. The primary outcomes were the anxiety and depression scores of family caregivers, assessed at admission, discharge, and 1 month after discharge. Eighty-three participants were followed up (ICT group, n = 43; control group, n = 40). To minimize the impact of confounding factors, propensity-score matching was performed. Significant effects on anxiety (P = .03) and depression (P = .049) were found in the ICT group compared with the control group. The median difference in anxiety scores from discharge to 1 month post-discharge was −1.0 (interquartile range [IQR]: −2.0 to 0.8) in the ICT group versus 1.0 (IQR: −1.0 to 2.0) in the control group. The median difference in depression scores from admission to discharge was 0.5 (IQR: −1.0 to 2.8) in the ICT group and 2.0 (IQR: 1.0–3.8) in the control group. The Internet-based rehabilitation information sharing program may help reduce the family caregivers’ psychological stress, enabling improved patient care.