Caregivers' Mastery in Handling Gastrostomy at Home after Educational Intervention: Qualitative Descriptive Study

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Patient Care
• Medical Education

Background:

• Effective hospital discharge planning is vital for patient recovery and preventing readmissions.
• Educating home caregivers on medical device management, such as gastrostomy tubes, is crucial for patient safety.
• This study focuses on caregiver mastery of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) care post-hospitalization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To understand the process of caregiver skill acquisition for managing patients with gastrostomy tubes.
• To evaluate the impact of educational interventions and telemonitoring on caregiver competence.
• To identify factors influencing caregiver mastery in handling gastrostomy care at home.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative descriptive study involving 15 home caregivers of patients with percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG).
• Intervention included in-hospital education and post-discharge telemonitoring.
• Study conducted in a Brazilian university hospital's neuromusculoskeletal unit from November 2022 to July 2023.

Main Results:

• Caregivers progressed from initial confusion to increased confidence and engagement through a four-stage educational process.
• Hands-on training with professional feedback was highly effective.
• Despite noted complications (granuloma, tube obstruction, loss), caregivers successfully managed them, demonstrating intervention effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• Nursing professionals must optimize hospital-based caregiver training by allocating sufficient time, space, and resources.
• Integrating theoretical and practical demonstrations, alongside effective communication, is essential.
• Considering the caregiver's home context is critical for ensuring safe and effective skill acquisition and patient care.