Does a Pre-transplant Health Coaching Intervention for Informal Caregivers of Adult Heart or Lung Transplant Candidates Improve Caregiver-Reported Outcomes?

PROJECT NARRATIVE Unpaid lay caregivers support patients awaiting heart or lung transplantation by assisting them with essential tasks (such as medical monitoring, activities of daily living, household and family activities, providing emotional and/or financial support). However, pre-transplant caregivers are stressed with high caregiver burden which can have adverse health effects for both the transplant candidate and the caregiver. In this application, we will investigate whether providing pre-transplant heart and lung patients’ caregivers a weekly health coaching intervention by telephone is acceptable, feasible, and improves caregiver stress.