Assessment of Care Givers' Knowledge, Attitude & Practices Regarding Burden of Care in Management of Patients With Severe Burn Injury
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Background: Family caregivers assume substantial responsibility for wound care, positioning, rehabilitation, nutrition, emotional support, and follow-up after severe burn injury, but deficiencies in knowledge and high caregiving burden may compromise both caregiver and patient well-being. Objective: To assess caregivers’ knowledge, attitudes, practices, and burden while managing patients with severe burn injuries. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey included 83 caregivers attending two burn-care hospitals in Lahore. Item-level frequencies and percentages were analysed for caregiver characteristics and knowledge, attitude, practice, and burden responses. Results: Women constituted 59.0% of participants, 65.1% had primary or secondary education, and 86.7% identified themselves as primary caregivers. Correct knowledge responses ranged from 0.0% to 13.3%; no participant correctly identified the nutrition or persistent systemic-complication items. Agreement was high for asking health professionals questions (91.6%) and discussing concerns (78.3%) but low for reporting symptoms (12.0%) and seeking a second opinion (8.4%). Most endorsed positioning, wound care, exercise, diet, and treatment contact, whereas scar massage and emotional support were less frequent. Often or always feeling unable to live according to personal wishes was reported by 91.6%, and 89.2% reported work–caregiving stress. Conclusion: Caregivers demonstrated marked item-level knowledge deficits alongside uneven attitudes and practices and substantial burden. Structured competency-based education and psychosocial support are warranted
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