Abstract
BACKGROUND: Caregiver burden, with its negative consequences for family caregivers of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, can adversely affect the healthcare system. Given the widespread impact of caregiver burden, designing and implementing a program to reduce this burden within the context of available resources and cultural considerations is deemed essential. The aim of this study was to design, implement, and evaluate a program to reduce caregiver burden among family caregivers of patients undergoing CABG surgery. METHODS: In this study, a caregiver burden reduction program was initially designed based on the Ewles and Simnett model. Then, the designed program was implemented in the form of a randomized clinical trial involving 59 family caregivers (divided into intervention and control groups). The implemented program was then evaluated using questionnaire es assessing caregiver burden, general health, and quality of life among adult caregivers. RESULTS: The findings revealed that the mean caregiver burden score after the intervention was lower in the intervention group compared to the control group (10.60 ± 9.27 vs. 16.78 ± 14.86, P < 0.001). Additionally, the mean general health score (37.26 ± 7.63 vs. 40.42 ± 12.39, P < 0.001) and quality of life score (67.00 ± 12.02 vs. 45.13 ± 13.00, P < 0.001) improved in the intervention group compared to the control group. Within-group analyses indicated that caregiver burden, general health, and quality of life improved in both the intervention and control groups post-intervention (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that the caregiver burden reduction program had positive effects on reducing caregiver burden, improving general health, and enhancing the quality of life among family caregivers of patients undergoing CABG surgery. Given the program's effectiveness, healthcare providers and managers can utilize it to make decisions aimed at improving the quality of services for caregivers in healthcare settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered in "irct.behdasht.gov.ir" a website and online database with the number 77592 (2024-06-29).