Application effects of WeChat follow-up specialized management in esophageal cancer patients with radiotherapy

Abstract

Objective To explore the application effects of WeChat follow-up specialized management in esophageal cancer patients with radiotherapy. Methods A total of 92 esophageal cancer patients with radiotherapy from Yancheng Third People's Hospital of Jiangsu Province were selected as subjects from January 2015 to May 2016. They were divided into observation group (n=46, follow-up specialized management with WeChat) and control group (n=46, conventional follow-up management) with the random number table. The self-care ability, treatment compliance, quality of life and follow-up satisfaction was compared between two groups 6 months after intervention. Results The scores of self-concept, level of health knowledge, nursing skills, sense of self-responsibility and the total score of observation group after intervention were all higher than those of control group with significant differences (t=6.342, 2.635, 3.124, 2.365, 3.258; P<0.05) . The scores of 7 dimensions including taking medicine on time, review on time, radiotherapy on time, prevention of complications, nutritional diet, reasonable rest, rehabilitation exercise and the total score in observation group after implementing WeChat follow-up specialized management were all significantly higher than those in control group (P<0.01) . There was no statistically significant difference in the changing degree of cognitive function, pain, anhelation, financial hardship between observation group and control group along with the changing degree of other 11 dimensions in observation group better than those in control group with significant differences (P<0.01) . Patients' satisfactions with forms, contents and effects of follow-up in observation group were significantly higher than those in control group (χ2=8.364, 5.705, 7.731; P<0.05) . Conclusions The implementation of WeChat follow-up specialized management for esophageal cancer patients with radiotherapy can obviously improve the self-care ability, treatment compliance, quality of life and follow-up satisfaction of patients. Key words: Esophageal neoplasms; WeChat; Follow-up; Radiotherapy