It measures the subjective nature of burden and would be useful in identifying problems of burden before caregiving is received and could help in developing a care plan for a patient which would reduce caregiver burden and reduce the chance for unmet needs. The area of burden research is not lacking in measures, but there are relatively few good measures of objective burden. Most of the measures are especially weak on the objective measures of burden with economic measures being the least developed. It would be very timely and important to further improve these measures at this time. With length of hospital stays shorter and more care being placed on the shoulders of families, the issue of burden is becoming a major concern.
More research needs to be done on the dynamics of burden.
What are the psychological, social, economic and health costs of caregiving. Development of the Grief Experience Questionnaire. Covinsky, KE, Goldman, L., Cook, E.F., et al. The Impact of Serious Illness on Patients' Families. Faschingbauer TR, Devaul RA and Zisook S. Development of the Texas Inventory of Grief.