APPLICATION OF PEER SUPPORT-BASED HEALTH EDUCATION IN PATIENTS WITH TRACHEOTOMY FOR LARYNGEAL CANCER

Fang Qin^#, Fan Mengting^#, Sun Peng, Zhou Peiju^* 

The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Department of Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology and Stomatology, Suzhou 215006, Jiangsu, China

^#These authors contribute equally to the paper

Introduction: To investigate the effect of peer support-based health education on self-management ability and cancer-related fatigue in patients with laryngeal cancer after tracheotomy. 

Methods: A total of 98 patients with tracheotomy for laryngeal cancer during January 2015-September 2019 were selected as the research objects and divided into experimental group (May 2017-September 2019) with 50 cases and control group (January 2015-April 2017) with 48 cases according to the surgery time. Where, 2 cases in the experimental group quitted midway or dropped out of the follow-up, and 4 cases in the control group quitted midway or dropped out of the follow-up. The control group was given routine health education by distribution of health education manuals, centralized education or individual guidance, and follow-up management, while the experimental group was given diversified health education based on peer support. The patients were followed up for 6 months. The self-management ability questionnaire for patients with tracheostomy for laryngeal cancer, the Chinese version of cancer-related fatigue self-rating scale (RPFS), and the Chinese quality of life instruments for cancer patients- head and neck cancer (QLQCP-HP) were used to evaluate the patients’ self-management ability, cancer-related fatigue, quality of life. 

Results: The patients with tracheotomy for laryngeal cancer in the experimental group had significantly higher score than the control group in psychological nursing, tracheal tube nursing, diet management, healthy life, pronunciation training, and complication prevention [(3.36±0.51 vs 2.84±0.45), (3.28±0.43) vs 2.90±0.52), (3.40±0.42 vs 2.94±0.40), (3.47±0.38 vs 3.12±0.42), (3.35±0.42 vs 2.88±0.45), (3.45±0.50 vs 2.85±0.44)] (t=5.166 , 3.832, 5.368, 4.196, 5.182, 6.087, P<0.05); significantly lower score than the control group in cognitive fatigue, psychological fatigue, physical fatigue, impact of fatigue on life, and total RPFS score [(7.16±1.13 vs 8.95±1.21) , (6.60±1.12 vs 8.48±1.24), (4.65±0.72 vs 5.46±0.80), (6.32±1.02 vs 7.68±1.14), (24.73±4.30 vs 30.57±4.45)] (t=5.337, 7.641, 5.111, 5.906, 6.400P<0.05); significantly higher score than the control group in physical function, psychological function, social function, common module, specific module, QLQCP-HP total score [(71.34±9.34 vs 64.32±8.45), (77.21±7.45 vs 70.21 ±8.24), (77.20±8.45 vs 69.45±9.13), (75.31±8.56 vs 69.14±8.34), (78.45±8.24 vs 74.12±8.55), (76.27±8.20 vs 70.66±8.45)] (t=3.768, 4.279 , 4.229, 3.496, 2.473, 3213, P<0.05). 

Conclusion: Peer support-based health education can help promote the development of self-management ability among patients with tracheotomy for laryngeal cancer, relieve cancer-related fatigue, and improve patients’ quality of life