Evaluating the effects of supportive care on chemotherapy patients symptoms, self care behaviors, and satisfactions
Date of Award
2015
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Nursing (MScN)
Department
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Pakistan
Abstract
purpose The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of a supportive care interventions (counseling and mind diversion activities), delivered via the patient help group program, on chemotherapy patients' symptoms, self-care behaviors, and satisfaction. Methodology A quasi- experimental design, with a control group, was used in this study, which was conducted at the Aga Khan University 1-lospital, chemotherapy day care unit. The total number of participants available for the two point data collection was 33; 16 in the control group and 17 in the intervention group. The intervention was delivered over a five weeks' period, excluding the pre and post time of assessment. All the participants were assessed for the symptom outcome variable at baseline (TI) and follow up (T2) assessment; whereas, only the intervention group participants were assessed for self-care behavior and satisfaction outcomes at T2. Results The study findings revealed that the supportive care intervention was effective in producing a statistically significant difference in the physical (p= <0.001) and affective (p=0.001) symptoms of the intervention group participants, from TI to T2. Similarly, the intervention group participants reported moderate to high self-care behavior and satisfaction from the intervention offered via the patient help group program. On the contrary, when the physical symptoms of both the groups were compared, statistically insignificant results were obtained (p=0.107). Likewise, in a comparative analysis between the groups on distress variables, a few of the variables got statistically significant improvement at follow up. Conclusion Supportive care intervention (counseling and mind diversion activities) offered via the patient help group program was found to be effective in producing a positive change in the intervention group participants' symptoms, self-care behaviors, and satisfaction. Future studies should evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions with a larger sample size.
Recommended Citation
Sadruddin, S. (2015). Evaluating the effects of supportive care on chemotherapy patients symptoms, self care behaviors, and satisfactions (Unpublished doctoral thesis). Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.