Rising Need for Health Education Among Renal Transplant Patients and Caregiving Competence in Care Providers

Abstract

Background: Health education positively affects the efficacy of self-management and should be carried out according to the status of patients’ needs, knowledge, and the competence of the primary caregivers. Objectives: This study was to investigate the needs of health education knowledge in transplant patients and the competence of the primary caregivers. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study using a convenient sampling approach. Self-report questionnaires were applied to 351 renal transplantation patients and their primary caregivers. Results: Three-hundred nine valid questionnaires were included in the analysis. The intensive care unit environment, stress coping strategies, the operation procedure, anesthesia and adverse reactions, and hand hygiene were the 5 most poorly understood aspects in health education. Stress coping strategies, at-home self-monitoring of health, pulmonary infection prevention, dietary needs, and anesthesia and other adverse reactions were the top 5 health education needs. Decision and self-efficacy were the weakest caregiving competence. Significant positive correlations were observed between health education knowledge level and caregiving competence in the primary caregivers. Marriage, education level, career, expense reimbursement, and residence significantly contributed to the health education demand questionnaire model, whereas gender, age, ethnic group, education level, career, and expense reimbursement significantly contributed to health education knowledge questionnaire model ( P < .05). Conclusion: The renal transplant patients and their primary caregivers need health education on the intensive care unit environment, stress coping strategies, the operation procedure, and anesthesia and other adverse reactions. The primary caregivers need training in decision-making and self-efficacy.