Abstracts of the 2025 Annual Meeting of the ALEH
More infoEducational strategies may improve quality of life (QoL) in patients with cirrhosis, yet available evidence remains limited and often not generalizable to Latin American settings. Sociocultural and demographic differences can influence both information needs and determinants of health-related quality of life (HRQoL).
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a locally tailored educational intervention on QoL in patients with compensated cirrhosis and caregiver burden.
Patients and MethodsIn this prospective, longitudinal study, adult outpatients with cirrhosis were enrolled. Patients completed the Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire (CLDQ), and both patients and caregivers completed PROMs (Patient-Reported Outcome Measures). Caregiver burden was assessed using the Zarit Burden Interview, both before and after the intervention. Descriptive statistics were used for demographic and clinical variables. Paired t-tests assessed changes in CLDQ scores, and univariate linear regression identified predictors of QoL improvement. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant.
ResultsThirty-nine patients were included (64% female; 86% Child-Pugh A). The most frequent etiologies were MASLD (33%) and autoimmune hepatitis (23%). Most belonged to socioeconomic level 2 (41%). Thirty-three caregivers were also included (78.1% female; mean age 50.1±13.7 years). Educational session attendance was 64% for patients and 72% for caregivers.
CLDQ scores increased by 29 points (95% CI: 24–34; p<0.001), a 21.8% relative improvement, especially in emotional and worry domains. Zarit scores decreased from 21.2 to 11.5 points, indicating a 46% reduction in caregiver burden.
ConclusionsA targeted educational intervention improved QoL and reduced caregiver burden. Educational support should be integrated into comprehensive cirrhosis care in Latin America.
