An intervention to increase use and effectiveness of self-care measures for breast cancer chemotherapy patients

Outpatient chemotherapy treatment shifts the managing of side effects from health care providers to patients and families. The primary purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine whether women who receive an int ervention of three telephone calls and oral and written self-care measures for specific side effects will use more self-care measures and have higher effectiveness scores as measured by, the Exercise of Self-Care Questionnair e (ESCQ) after treatment 4 than women who receive standard care. A second p urpose was to determine if women scoring higher on the Exercise of Self-Car e Agency (ESCA) Scale before chemotherapy used more and effective self-cart measures during chemotherapy than women scoring lower on this settle. Fort y-eight women beginning chemotherapy for breast cancer completed the ESCA p retreatment and were interviewed using the ESCQ during a sequence of therap y. The experimental group (n = 26) received additional self-care measures, Subjects with higher ESCA scores before chemotherapy treatment used more se lf-care measures to alleviate chemotherapy side effects. A telephone calf a nd written self-care measures after the second third, and fourth chemothera py treatments dirt not increase use or effectiveness of self-care measures. The implications of assessing patients' self-care agency before chemothera py are discussed and a nursing intervention recommended.