Effect of Using the IDEAL Discharge Planning on the Quality of Life of Traumatized Children and Adolescents

Aims: Children and adolescents are more exposed to trauma due to their physiological conditions and growth processes. After the discharge, the complications caused by trauma affect the quality of life of children and adolescents or their families. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the effect of using the IDEAL discharge planning on the quality of life of children and adolescents with trauma. Materials Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 150 traumatized children and adolescents aged 8 to 16 years admitted to the trauma department of Golestan Hospital, Ahvaz, Iran, in 2023 were selected by available sampling method and divided into two groups of 75 people (intervention and control). For patients in the intervention group, training on the IDEAL discharge model was implemented, and control group received routine training. Varni et al.’s Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Generic Core Scale, version 4, was used to collect data. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25 software through independent t-test, paired t-test, and Chi-square test. Findings: After the intervention, the mean quality of life score in the intervention group showed a significant improvement compared to the control group (p 0.01). In the intra-group comparison, in each of the intervention and control groups, the average quality of life score after the intervention showed a significant increase compared to before the intervention (p=0.001), but this increase was higher in the intervention group than in the control group. Conclusion: The IDEAL discharge planning method increases and improves the quality of life in children and adolescents with trauma.