Effect of Self-Management Guidelines on Chemotherapy Associated Symptoms among Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Patients

Abstract

Background: Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients undergoing chemotherapy have symptoms that continue to place a significant burden and preventing them from living normally. This requires non-hodgkin's lymphoma patients to engage in a range of self-management actions. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of self-management guidelines on chemotherapy associated symptoms among non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients. Design: A quasi experimental design. Setting: the study was conducted at the hematology unit in Ain Shams University Hospital. Subjects: A purposive sample of 76 adult patients. Data collection tools: Three tools were used in this study, structured interview questionnaire for the non-hodgkin's lymphoma patients undergoing chemotherapy, self-care practices questionnaire, and symptoms experience tools. Results: Regarding total level knowledge, 28.9% of the studied patients had satisfactory level of total knowledge pre implementation of self-management guidelines which improved to 65.8% with a highly significant difference post implementation of self-management guidelines (P≤ 0.001). While 26.3% of the studied patients had satisfactory level of total self-care practices pre implementation of self-management guidelines which improved to 57.9% with a highly significant difference post implementation of self-management guidelines (P≤ 0.001). There was a significant improvement on patients` symptoms experience post implementation of self management guidelines. Conclusion: The implementation of self-management guidelines for patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma undergoing chemotherapy has a statistically significant positive effect on their knowledge, self-care practice and associated symptoms which support the stated hypothesis. Recommendation: This study recommends the importance of developing tailored self-management programs for fatigue, nausea, vomiting and oral mucositis to understand and promote chemotherapy associated symptoms self-management in patients with non-hodgkin's lymphoma disease.