scholarly journals Quality of Life of Women After a First Diagnosis of Breast Cancer Using a Self-Management Support mHealth App in Taiwan: Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
I-Ching Hou ◽  
Hsin-Yi Lin ◽  
Shan-Hsiang Shen ◽  
King-Jen Chang ◽  
Hao-Chih Tai ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND There are over 2 million newly diagnosed patients with breast cancer worldwide with more than 10,000 cases in Taiwan each year. During 2017-2018, the National Yang-Ming University, the Taiwan University of Science and Technology, and the Taiwan Breast Cancer Prevention Foundation collaborated to develop a breast cancer self-management support (BCSMS) mHealth app for Taiwanese women with breast cancer. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the quality of life (QoL) of women with breast cancer in Taiwan after using the BCSMS app. METHODS After receiving a first diagnosis of breast cancer, women with stage 0 to III breast cancer, who were recruited from social networking sites or referred by their oncologists or oncology case managers, were randomized 1:1 into intervention and control groups. Intervention group subjects used the BCSMS app and the control group subjects received usual care. Two questionnaires—the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality-of-Life Questionnaire Core 30 (QLQ-C30) and the EORTC Breast Cancer-Specific Quality-of-Life Questionnaire (QLQ-BR23)—were distributed to subjects in both arms. Paper-based questionnaires were used at baseline; paper-based or Web-based questionnaires were used at 1.5-month and 3-month follow-up evaluations. All evaluations were self-assessed and anonymous, and participants were blinded to their allocation groups. Descriptive analysis, the Pearson chi-square test, analysis of variance, and the generalized estimating equation were used to analyze the data. Missing values, with and without multi-imputation techniques, were used for sensitivity analysis. RESULTS A total of 112 women were enrolled and randomly allocated to either the experimental group (n=53) or control group (n=59). The follow-up completion rate was 89.3% (100/112). The demographic data showed homogeneity between the two groups in age (range 50-64 years), breast cancer stage (stage II), marital status (married), working status (employed), and treatment status (receiving treatments). The mean total QoL summary scores from the QLQ-C30 (83.45 vs 82.23, <i>P</i>=.03) and the QLQ-BR23 (65.53 vs 63.13, <i>P</i>=.04) were significantly higher among the experimental group versus the control group, respectively, at 3 months. CONCLUSIONS This research provides support for using a mobile health care app to promote the QoL among women in Taiwan after a first diagnosis of breast cancer. The BCSMS app could be used to support disease self-management, and further evaluation of whether QoL is sustained is warranted. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT004174248; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04174248

10.2196/17084 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. e17084 ◽  
Author(s):  
I-Ching Hou ◽  
Hsin-Yi Lin ◽  
Shan-Hsiang Shen ◽  
King-Jen Chang ◽  
Hao-Chih Tai ◽  
...  

Background There are over 2 million newly diagnosed patients with breast cancer worldwide with more than 10,000 cases in Taiwan each year. During 2017-2018, the National Yang-Ming University, the Taiwan University of Science and Technology, and the Taiwan Breast Cancer Prevention Foundation collaborated to develop a breast cancer self-management support (BCSMS) mHealth app for Taiwanese women with breast cancer. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the quality of life (QoL) of women with breast cancer in Taiwan after using the BCSMS app. Methods After receiving a first diagnosis of breast cancer, women with stage 0 to III breast cancer, who were recruited from social networking sites or referred by their oncologists or oncology case managers, were randomized 1:1 into intervention and control groups. Intervention group subjects used the BCSMS app and the control group subjects received usual care. Two questionnaires—the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality-of-Life Questionnaire Core 30 (QLQ-C30) and the EORTC Breast Cancer-Specific Quality-of-Life Questionnaire (QLQ-BR23)—were distributed to subjects in both arms. Paper-based questionnaires were used at baseline; paper-based or Web-based questionnaires were used at 1.5-month and 3-month follow-up evaluations. All evaluations were self-assessed and anonymous, and participants were blinded to their allocation groups. Descriptive analysis, the Pearson chi-square test, analysis of variance, and the generalized estimating equation were used to analyze the data. Missing values, with and without multi-imputation techniques, were used for sensitivity analysis. Results A total of 112 women were enrolled and randomly allocated to either the experimental group (n=53) or control group (n=59). The follow-up completion rate was 89.3% (100/112). The demographic data showed homogeneity between the two groups in age (range 50-64 years), breast cancer stage (stage II), marital status (married), working status (employed), and treatment status (receiving treatments). The mean total QoL summary scores from the QLQ-C30 (83.45 vs 82.23, P=.03) and the QLQ-BR23 (65.53 vs 63.13, P=.04) were significantly higher among the experimental group versus the control group, respectively, at 3 months. Conclusions This research provides support for using a mobile health care app to promote the QoL among women in Taiwan after a first diagnosis of breast cancer. The BCSMS app could be used to support disease self-management, and further evaluation of whether QoL is sustained is warranted. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT004174248; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04174248


2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samaneh Mohamadpour ◽  
Azita Pouyanfar ◽  
Zeinab Najar ◽  
Hasan Jafari ◽  
Soheila Rahmani

Background and objectives: The aim of this study was examining the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive group therapy on the quality of life and hope in the patients with coronary heart disease. Methods: The present study was quasi-experimental with pre-test, post-test and follow-up with control group. To fulfill the study, 30 patients were selected randomly and were assigned into experimental (n = 15) and control groups (n = 15). To collect the data, participants of both groups completed demographic information sheet, MacNew Heart Disease Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire and Miller Hope Scale, respectively of coronary heart disease questionnaire at pre-test, post-test and follow-up (2 months after the intervention). Participants of experimental group received eight 90-minute intervention sessions. Results: The results of the multivariate covariance analysis with repeated measures showed that mean score quality of life(P<0.05), hope (P<0.001) in participants of the experimental group had a significant difference compared to the participants of the control group at post-test and follow-up. Conclusion: results showed that mindfulness – based stress reduction treatment can be effective in improving life quality and hope in coronary heart disease. Implication for further research and possible clinical applications are discussed.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheida Jabalameli ◽  
Hamid Taher Neshat Doost ◽  
Mohammad Bagher Kajbaf ◽  
Hossein Molavi

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is one of the most common anxiety disorders. It has been reported that psychological treatments like Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is effective for patients with GAD. The purpose of the present research was to investigate the effectiveness of CBT on Quality of Life (QOL) and worry in patients with GAD. A sample of 30 patients with GAD who had been referred to psychiatry offices in Isfahan, Iran were selected and assigned into an experimental group (n=15) and a control group (n=15) randomly.  The experimental group received CBT in 8 weekly sessions. All participants completed the World Health Organization Quality Of Life-Brief (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire and the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) at pretest, posttest and follow up. The results of MANCOVA showed that the mean scores of QOL in the experimental group was significantly higher than the control group at the posttest and follow up (P<0.05) and the mean scores of worry in the experimental group was significantly lower than the control group at the posttest and follow up (P<0.05) It is concluded that CBT can be applied for the patients with GAD as a useful psychological treatment. In general, CBT can improve QOL and decrease worry in patients with GAD.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
BERNA KURT ◽  
ZEYNEP SİPAHİ KARSLI ◽  
BERNA ÖMÜR ÇAKMAK ÖKSÜZOĞLU ◽  
EMİNE ÖZTÜRK ◽  
NESLİHAN DEMİRÖRS ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of peripheral neuropathy on the quality of life of breast cancer patients throughout with monthly follow-up during 4 months of paclitaxel treatment.Material and methods The research was conducted with a prospective cross sectional with four follow-ups descriptive design. The study population consisted of female patients with breast cancer at Ankara Oncology Training and Research Hospital between August 2018 and January 2019. Data were collected the ‘’Patient Information Form’’,‘’EORTC C30 Cancer Quality Of Life Questionnaire’’ and ‘’Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Assessment Tool’’. The study was undertaken in accordance with the STROBE checklist for cross-sectional studies. Results Of 79 patients included in the Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Assessment Tool except for the general activity subdimension were statistically significant in the ratings of 2nd, compared to 1st; 3rd compared to 1st and 2nd; 4th compared to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd follow-up periods. The overall mean of EORTC C30 Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire, functional subdimension, symptom severity, and general well-being in the evaluations of 2nd, compared with 1st; 3rd compared with 1st and 2nd; 4th compared with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd follow-up periods it was found that the mean values of symptom that decreased gradually were statistically significant.Conclusion The neuropathy scale was found to be higher in 2nd, 3rd, 4th follow-up periods than in 1st follow-up. Also, EORTC C30 Cancer QLQ subdimensions were high initially but gradually decreased after the fourth cycle. Thus, it was found that the increase in neuropathy symptoms negatively affects the quality of life.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daiva Petruseviciene ◽  
Deive Surmaitiene ◽  
Daiva Baltaduoniene ◽  
Egle Lendraitiene

We aimed to evaluate the short-term effects of community-based occupational therapy on health-related quality of life and engagement in meaningful activities among women with breast cancer. An open label randomized controlled trial study design was applied. The participants were members of various societies of women with cancer. In total, 22 women have participated in the study. Participants of the experimental group (n=11) participated in a 6-week community-based occupational therapy program and the usual activities of various societies, whereas the control group (n=11) women participated in the usual activities of the societies only. 1 of the participants withdrew during the course; therefore 21 completed the study successfully. Participants of both groups were assessed for health-related quality of life and the participants of the experimental group were assessed for engagement in meaningful activities. The evaluation was carried out during the nonacute period of the disease—at the beginning of the study and after 6 weeks. Women of the experimental group demonstrated statistically significantly better scores in the global quality of life, role functions, physical, emotional, cognitive, and social functions, fatigue, insomnia, financial impact, systemic therapy side effects, and breast symptoms scales compared to the control group participants (p<0.05) after the 6 weeks, as measured by the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire and its breast cancer module QLQ-BR23. Furthermore, women of the experimental group demonstrated significant greater engagement in meaningful activities when applying community-based occupational therapy (p<0.05), as measured by using the Engagement in Meaningful Activities Survey (EMAS). The evaluation of the associations between the women’s engagement in meaningful activities and changes in health-related quality of life showed that greater engagement in meaningful activities was associated with better emotional functions and a lower level of insomnia (p<0.05). Based on the results of our study, we recommend applying occupational therapy in the field of community healthcare in order to maintain or improve breast cancer patients’ health-related quality of life and suggest involving women into meaningful activities during community-based occupational therapy after clarifying which activities are important to them.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicia Cuesta-Gómez ◽  
Patricia Sanchez-Herrera Baeza ◽  
Edwin Daniel Oña-Simbaña ◽  
Alicia Martínez-Medina ◽  
Carmen Ortiz-Comino ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Dexterity and activities of daily living limitations on the upper limb (UL) represent one of the most common problems in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the specially developed Serious Games that make use of the Leap Motion Controller (LMC) as main user interface for improving UL grip muscle strength, dexterity, fatigue, quality of life, satisfaction and compliance. Methods: A single-blinded randomized controlled trial was conducted. The sample was randomized into two groups: an experimental group who received treatment based on serious games designed by the research team using the developed LMC based Serious Games for the UL plus conventional rehabilitation, and a control group who received the same conventional rehabilitation for the UL. Both groups received two 60 min sessions per week over a ten-week period. Grip muscle strength, coordination, speed of movements, fine and gross UL dexterity, fatigue, quality of life, satisfaction and compliance were assessed in both groups pre-treatment, post-treatment and in a follow-up period of one month without receiving any treatment. Results : In the experimental group compared to the control group, significant improvements were observed in the post-treatment assessment for coordination, speed of movements, fine and gross UL dexterity. Also, significant results were found in the follow-up in coordination, speed of movements, fine and gross for the more affected side. Conclusions: An experimental protocol using an LMC based Serious Games designed for UL rehabilitation showed improvements for unilateral gross manual dexterity, fine manual dexterity, and coordination in MS patients with high satisfaction and excellent compliance.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasser Rezapour-Mirsaleh ◽  
Fatemeh Abolhasani ◽  
Raziyeh Amini ◽  
Azadeh Choobforoushzadeh ◽  
Sepideh Masoumi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Anxiety is one of the common psychological problems among infertile women, which affects their quality of life. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of self-compassion intervention based on religious perspective on the anxiety and quality of life of infertile women. Methods A qusai-experimental design with experimental and control groups was used. 24 women who lived in Maybod city, Iran, and were referred to Yazd reproductive sciences institute selected by available sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The participants of experimental group received 8 sessions self-compassion focused intervention based on religious instructions and control group was put on the waiting list. Data were collected using Quality of Life Questionnaire in Infertile Couples Questionnaire (QOLICQ) and Beck anxiety inventory (BDI) in pretest and posttest phase and then analyzed using multivariate analysis covariance (MANCOVA). Results The results showed as compared to control group at the post-test phase, the quality of life (p< .001) and anxiety (p< .001) of infertile women increased and decreased, respectively, in the experimental group. Conclusion Infertility medical centers can use self-compassion intervention based on a religious approach as a complementary psychological intervention, alongside with medical interventions, to improve the quality of life and reduce anxiety in infertile women.


2022 ◽  
Vol 2022 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Peijuan He ◽  
Bing Zhang ◽  
Songna Shen

This study aimed to explore the application value of the intelligent medical communication system based on the Apriori algorithm and cloud follow-up platform in out-of-hospital continuous nursing of breast cancer patients. In this study, the Apriori algorithm is optimized by Amazon Web Services (AWS) and graphics processing unit (GPU) to improve its data mining speed. At the same time, a cloud follow-up platform-based intelligent mobile medical communication system is established, which includes the log-in, my workstation, patient records, follow-up center, satisfaction management, propaganda and education center, SMS platform, and appointment management module. The subjects are divided into the control group (routine telephone follow-up, 163) and the intervention group (continuous nursing intervention, 216) according to different nursing methods. The cloud follow-up platform-based intelligent medical communication system is used to analyze patients’ compliance, quality of life before and after nursing, function limitation of affected limb, and nursing satisfaction under different nursing methods. The running time of Apriori algorithm is proportional to the data amount and inversely proportional to the number of nodes in the cluster. Compared with the control group, there are statistical differences in the proportion of complete compliance data, the proportion of poor compliance data, and the proportion of total compliance in the intervention group ( P < 0.05 ). After the intervention, the scores of the quality of life in the two groups are statistically different from those before treatment ( P < 0.05 ), and the scores of the quality of life in the intervention group were higher than those in the control group ( P < 0.05 ). The proportion of patients with limited and severely limited functional activity of the affected limb in the intervention group is significantly lower than that in the control group ( P < 0.05 ). The satisfaction rate of postoperative nursing in the intervention group is significantly higher than that in the control group ( P < 0.001 ), and the proportion of basically satisfied and dissatisfied patients in the control group was higher than that in the intervention group ( P < 0.05 ).


2021 ◽  
pp. 109980042110618
Author(s):  
Mei-Chen Lee ◽  
Shu-Fang Vivienne Wu ◽  
Kuo-Cheng Lu ◽  
Wen-Hug Wang ◽  
Yen-Yen Chen ◽  
...  

This longitudinal study with a randomized controlled trial evaluated the long-term effectiveness of the patient-centered self-management intervention program on the control of blood pressure and renal function, as well as the quality of life of patients with hypertensive nephropathy. The control group ( n = 38) received usual care while the experimental group ( n = 38) participated in a patient-centered self-management program. After the pre-test, the intervention was performed with the experimental group once a week for a total of 4 weeks. Then, the post-test was performed 1, 3, and 6 months later. A questionnaire was used to collect the demographic data and disease characteristics, laboratory data, and quality of life scale. This study tracked three time points (i.e., 1, 3, and 6 months) after the intervention and found that the experimental group achieved significant results in controlling systolic blood pressure ( p < 0.001), diastolic blood pressure ( p = 0.007), and eGFR ( p = 0.013). Significant results were achieved in the overall quality of life ( p < 0.001) and the quality of life in the physical (PHC; p < 0.001) and mental health components (MHC; p < 0.001). Furthermore, the effects in the experimental group lasted for as long as 6 months and were better than those in the control group. Moreover, this program can provide nursing staff with a reference different from traditional health education methods.


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