Perceived family environment predicts hospital utilization following kidney transplantation

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between pre-transplant psychosocial variables and hospital utilization following kidney transplantation. The subjects were 137 kidney transplant recipients who had retained a functioning graft for 1 year or more. Dependent variables included inpatient hospital charges ('charges') and the average number of hospital days per admission ('days') during the first year post-transplant. Independent measures collected pre-transplant included demographic and medical variables, depression, and perceived family environment. Stepwise multiple regression analyses determined significant predictor variables within demographic, medical, and family environment domains that ultimately served as predictors in the final hierarchical regression models. Findings revealed that greater perceived independence and organization in the family environment predicted lower charges; lower perceived family cohesion and conflict and greater organization predicted lower days. Perceived family environments characterized by less emphasis on organization and independence and higher levels of conflict may place patients at risk for increased hospital utilization following kidney transplantation.