Objective To assess how patient and caregiver factors influence caregiver readiness for hospital discharge in palliative care patients. Study Setting and Design This transitional care study uses cross-sectional data from a randomized controlled trial conducted from 2018 to 2023 testing an intervention for caregivers of hospitalized adult patients with a serious or life-limiting illness who received a palliative care consult prior to transitioning out of the hospital. Data Sources and Analytical Sample Caregiver readiness was measured with the Family Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale ( n = 231). Caregiver demographic, intra- and interpersonal factors were self-reported. Patient demographic, comorbidity score, and risk score for complicated discharge planning were extracted from electronic health records. Stepwise regression models estimated variance explained ( r 2) in caregiver readiness for patient hospital discharge. Principal Findings Patient demographics and complexity were not statistically associated with caregiver readiness for discharge. Caregiver depressive symptoms, poor caregiver-patient relationship quality, and fewer hours spent caregiving prior to hospitalization explained 29% of the variance in caregiver readiness. Conclusions Reliance on patient data may not be sufficient for explaining caregiver readiness for discharge. Assessing caregiver factors may be a better alternative for identifying caregivers at risk for low discharge readiness and those in need of additional support. Trial Registration: ClinitcalTrials.gov on November 13, 2017, (No. NCT03339271)

Assessing Family Caregiver Readiness for Hospital Discharge of Patients With Serious or Life-Limiting Illness Using Electronic Health Record and Self-Reported Data
Joan M. Griffin et al.

