Improvement of follow up family centered care program for burn patients in Tabriz University of Medical Sciences: An action research

Background and Objective:For the burn patient, the discharge from the hospital is a critical juncture, when decisions are made that may influence the rest of that person s life. It is a new period of care in which the responsibility of the care providers in the hospital is passed on to the patient and his family. This course may be associated with new problems for the patient and family. The implementation and follow-up of a comprehensive dispensing program is a common practice in the healthcare system of many countries, which is more effective if it is to have close family involvement and follow up of the nursing system. The present work was conducted to to design and develop of a follow up family centered care program for burn patients.Materials and Methods: This research is part of an approved research project in Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in 2017 after the adoption of the Ethical Cod (Tbzmed.rec.1394.462). The participatory action research method was used in the form of research cycles including planning, action, observation and reflection. The desired cycles in phases: determining the status quo; analyzing the situation and eventually developing a family-centered follow-up and care plan for burn patients, and the final portal was approved by the Accreditation and Clinical Governance Department of Tabriz Sina Medical Research & Training Hospital. The pilot project the program was conducted for one year after discharge of burn patients. The quality of life was considered as an important outcome, and common educational needs of burn patients assessed by telephone/an appointment.Results: The result showed that the quality of life has a significant statistical difference across the three time points. In other words, using this program affects the quality of life scores and this effect continues over time and, in general, it can be said that approximately 80% of variance in quality of life scores is explained by an independent variable. Other results are presented in the original article.Discussion and Conclusion: The results of this study, along with other researches, showed that patient follow up and assessment of patients and their family needs leads to the improvement of the quality of life. In this study, the establishment and guidance of follow-up and family-based care clinics by faculty members as one of their educational and care roles in the community is suggested.