J Korean Biol Nurs Sci.  2022 Nov;24(4):243-252. 10.7586/jkbns.2022.24.4.243.

Relationship between Readiness for Hospital Discharge and Self-care of Liver Transplant Recipients: A Single-center Prospective Study

• Park S
• Choi J
• Joo D
• Chu S

• KMID: 2536684
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.7586/jkbns.2022.24.4.243

Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this longitudinal study was to identify the relationship between the readiness for hospital discharge and self-care changes in an early stage of liver transplantation after discharge.
Methods
Data of 75 liver transplant recipients within one year of surgery from a transplantation center from May 2019 to May 2020 were collected for this study. Their readiness for discharge was measured before discharge. Self-care after liver transplantation was evaluated at one week, one month, and three months of discharge at outpatient visits. Linear mixed model was used to evaluate the statistical relationship.
Results
The readiness for hospital discharge was significantly higher when the caregiver was a spouse (p = .027), with fewer post-transplantation days (p = .027), absence of acute rejection (p = .004), or high self-efficacy (p < .001). As a result of the linear mixed model analysis, the higher the discharge readiness score, the higher the self-care score (β = 0.29, p < .001). However, after three months, their self-care had decreased regardless of their level of readiness for hospital discharge compared to one week after discharge.
Conclusion
Improving the readiness before discharge is essential to enhance self-care. Also, active intervention at 3 months of discharge should be performed to check and promote their long-term self-care.

Keyword

Liver Transplantation; Patient Discharge; Self-Care; Longitudinal Studies