Information needs of family caregivers regarding liver transplant candidates

Objective To assess the information needs of family caregivers of candidates on the waiting list for a liver transplant. Methods It is a cross-sectional study conducted in a transplant center in São Paulo State in the period between April and October of 2012. For the assessment of information needed, an instrument submitted to face and content value was used. The caregivers put 10 subjects in order according to their importance and the amount of interest they had in learning about each, prior to the transplant their family member would be subjected to. Sociodemographic characteristics were also recorded. For data analysis, descriptive statistics were used. Results 42 families participated in the study. The information need about liver disease complications, complications after transplantation and care needed after surgery had higher averages. Conclusions Knowing the information needs of caregivers is important to plan teaching-learning strategies aimed at improving assistance to patients and families in transplant programs.