Factors Associated with the Support Needs of Caregivers for Patients After Open-Heart Surgery Receiving Treatment at Rajavithi Hospital

Abstract

The objectives of this quantitative research study were to determine 1) the support needs of caregivers of patients after open-heart surgery, 2) the level of social support received by these caregivers, and 3) the relationship between gender, age, educational level, occupation, income, and social support with caregivers’ support needs. The conceptual framework was the applied Hierarchy of Needs Theory of Maslow. The sample group consisted of 220 caregivers of patients who had undergone open-heart surgery and were receiving treatment at Rajavithi Hospital, selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire with a content validity index of 0.96 and an overall reliability coefficient of 0.97. Descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (chi-square test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and Spearman’s rank correlation) were used for data analysis. The findings revealed that 1) caregivers’ overall support needs were at a high level, 2) the overall social support received was also at a high level, and 3) overall social support is positively correlated with the supportive needs of caregivers of patients after open-heart surgery, with statistical significance at the 0.01 level. While gender, occupation, and income are not related to the supportive needs of caregivers of patients after open-heart surgery. The department of cardiothoracic surgery

should provide support in terms of information and resources for patient care to help reduce postoperative complications after heart surgery.