Developing and Evaluating an Inpatient Caregiver Support Program: Feasibility, Acceptability, and Perceived Impact

To evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and perceived impact of a hospital-based Caregiver Support Program (CSP) that supports family care partners (FCPs) of seriously ill hospitalized patients by addressing their unmet needs through emotional support, help navigating the hospital, and referrals to trusted and vetted resources.

The evaluation, conducted from October 15, 2021 to January 30, 2024, was designed using a 2-phase interrupted time series. Phase 1 included prelaunch and postlaunch surveys delivered to staff and FCPs on 2 hospital units. CSP procedures were refined based on phase 1 results, and then new procedures were evaluated in phase 2 on a third unit using the same survey procedures. Feasibility was measured by the number of FCPs seen, total visits, contact hours, and time per visit. Changes in staff and FCP acceptability and perceived care quality were assessed before and after the CSP's implementation.

In phase 1, 253 FCPs received 282 hours of support, and 100% (8/8) of staff at postlaunch with knowledge about the CSP program strongly believed that it benefited patients and FCPs. In phase 2, 88% (53/61) of FCPs rated the program as very or extremely helpful. Care quality improved over time, but differences from prelaunch to postlaunch were not statistically significant.

The CSP is a feasible and acceptable approach to support FCPs that is highly valued by both staff and FCPs. Program expansion may benefit both FCPs and staff by improving care quality, including communication between families, patients, and staff, and access to vetted support resources.