Table 1.
Patients and Caregiver Characteristics (N= 132 dyads)
| Characteristic | Patients | Caregivers |
|---|---|---|
| Age (years), mean (SD) | 56.05 (11.35) | 57.22 (12.53) |
| Women (%) | 37% | 71% |
| Married/partnered (%) | 62% | - |
| Years of Cirrhosis, mean (SD) | 4.7 (6.10) | - |
| Liver Etiology (%) | ||
| Viral Hepatitis | 23% | |
| NASH/Cryptogenic | 29% | |
| ETOH | 32% | |
| Other | 16% | |
| MELD-Na, mean (SD) | 17.07 (4.30) | - |
| Charlson Comorbidity Index, mean (SD) | 3.61 (1.94) | - |
| Hepatic encephalopathy (%) | ||
| No history | 36% | - |
| Managed | 64% | - |
| Ascites (%) | ||
| None | 32% | - |
| Managed | 48% | - |
| Refractory | 20% | - |
| Uncertainty, mean (SD) | 88.38 (16.74) | 82.56 (16.26)*** |
| Relationship quality, mean (SD) | 3.32 (0.70) | 3.09 (0.80)** |
| Physical quality of life, mean (SD) | 33.72 (9.91) | 48.68 (9.78)*** |
| Mental quality of life, mean (± SD) | 42.74 (11.46) | 45.72 (11.34)* |
Note. Paired t-tests were used to compare patient and caregiver characteristics.
***
p < .001.
MELD-Na = Model for End-Stage Liver Disease including sodium; NASH, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis; SD, standard deviation.