Table 1.

Description of Caregivers and Patients

	Total (n = 179)	Cancer (n=68)	COPD (n=64)	HF (n=47)	P- value
Caregiver characteristics
Age, mean +/− SD	62+/−14	60+/−14	63+/−15	62+/−14	0.60
Education, years, mean +/− SD	13+/−3	13+/−3	12+/−3	13+/−3	0.19
Female, %	78	78	77	81	0.86
White, %	92	93	94	89	0.68
Married, n %	78	77	78	79	0.95
Not enough/just enough money, %	45	42	43	51	0.62
Self-rated health, fair/poor, %	18	10	23	21	0.11
Relationship to patient,%					0.51
Spouse, husband, wife	56	54	55	60
Child, daughter, son	27	25	27	32
Other, relative, friend, paid caregiver	17	21	19	9
Prior experience caring for ill person, %	67	75	69	53	0.05
More help with daily tasks needed, some/a lot,%	13	9	11	23	0.06
More emotional support needed, some/a lot,%	17	15	16	23	0.53
I would like to talk to the patient more, agree/strongly agree%	39	50	34	30	0.06
I would like to talk to the doctor more, agree/strongly agree%	35	37	38	28	0.50
Caregiver burden, median (IQ range)*	5 (1–11)	4(1–10)	4(2–9)	8 (1–15)	0.36
Patient characteristics
Age, mean +/− SD	73 +/−7	72+/−7	73+/−7	75+/−8	0.03
Education, years, mean +/−SD	12+/−3	12+/−3	11+/−3	12+/−3	0.07
Female,%	41	44	45	32	0.31
White, %	91	93	94	85	0.24
Married, %	61	62	59	62	0.95
Just enough/not enough money, %	58	54	61	58	0.68
Lives alone, %	20	16	22	21	0.67
≥1 ADL disablities, %	39	32	48	34	0.13
≥3 IADL disability, %	78	68	81	87	0.03
≥ 2 hospitalizations in previous year, %	47	32	50	64	<0.01
Self-rated health, fair/poor,%	67	53	81	66	<0.01
Physical discomfort, moderate/severe,%	39	42	42	30	0.31
Depression,%	50	47	61	38	0.05

COPD = Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, HF = Heart failure; ADL = activity of daily living; IADL = Instrumental activity of daily living

^*CG burden as measured by a short form of the Zarit Burden Inventory with scores ranging from 0–40 (higher scores indicate higher burden)