| The following article features coverage from the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2021. Click here to read more of Cancer Therapy Advisor’s conference coverage. |
Technology-based psychosocial counseling and education improves the quality of life, emotional self-efficacy, and coping skills in adolescent leukemia survivors, according to study results presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2021.
The randomized controlled trial evaluated the efficacy of the program, which was developed by pediatric nurse specialists. The program includes 10 weeks of education and counseling with 5 modules and 3 months’ of follow-up. The module categories were self-knowledge and goal development, communication skills, coping skills, problem-solving skills, and increasing awareness and health promotion.
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Each module was supported with an interactive activity and audiovisual tools, and the pediatric nurse regularly sent mobile messages to reinforce and motivate the participants to practice the recommendations.
The cohort included adolescent survivors of leukemia aged 12 to 18 years who had completed treatment at least 2 years prior to the study and were able to use a computer and/or smartphone and have access to the Internet. Participants were assigned to the intervention group (24 patients) or a control group (31 patients).
Measurements were made at baseline, postintervention, 1 month postintervention, and 3 months postintervention with use of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children, KIDCOPE, and Evaluation Questionnaire for Program Effectiveness.
Regarding quality of life, significant improvements were observed in the intervention group in overall, physical, and psychosocial health at the fourth follow-up. The 3-month overall and psychosocial subscale scores of the quality of life of the intervention group were significantly higher than those for the control group (P <.05).
For self-efficacy, in the intervention group, participants’ overall scores increased from the third follow-up to the fourth follow-up, and emotional self-efficacy scores increased from baseline to the fourth follow-up and from the third follow-up to the fourth follow-up. General self-efficacy was not significantly different between the 2 groups. The 3-month emotional self-efficacy subscale scores were significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group (P <.05).
Regarding coping skills, in the intervention group, active coping scores of the participants were significantly higher and negative coping scores were lower compared with those in the control group (P <.05).
“This program could be integrated into follow-up and used as one of the support methods in providing and maintaining long-term follow-up care by pediatric oncology nurses,” the investigators concluded.
Read more of Cancer Therapy Advisor’s coverage of ESMO 2021 by visiting the conference page.
Reference
Arpaci T, Altay N, Copur GY. Evaluation of the effectiveness of technology-based psychosocial education and counseling program for adolescent leukemia survivors: a randomised controlled trial. Paper presented at: European Society for Medical Oncology Congress 2021; September 16-21, 2021. Abstract CN4.
This article originally appeared on Hematology Advisor
