Effect of tele-nursing in the improving of the ultrasound findings in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases: A Randomized Clinical Trial study.

Abstract

To establish the effect of tele-nursing in the improving of the ultrasound findings in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. In this clinical trial, 60 patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver referring to specialized gastroenterology clinics affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (Iran) were selected were randomly assigned to control or intervention group. All patients received necessary trainings on diet and physical activity. The subjects in the intervention group were followed up via phone by nurses for 12 weeks (twice a week during the first month and once a week during the following two months). The control group participants did not receive any interventions and were only followed up as usual by a specialist. Before and after the intervention, the liver size and histological status of their liver were examined using ultrasound in all the participants. After 12 weeks of start of the study, the mean of liver size decreased in the group followed up via phone by a nurse (13.15±1.22 cm to 12.90±1.16 cm, p=0.013), but this did not change significantly in the control group (12.55±1.56 cm to 12.56±1.57 cm, p=0.326). The greater difference in the mean liver size between the evaluations was in the intervention group with 0.26±0.53 cm versus -0.003±0.018 cm in the control group (p=0.012). Additionally, the fatty infiltration status of the liver tissue improves in the 66.6% of the intervention group versus 6.6% in the control group (p<0.001). In the hospitalization services, nurses care for patients but without being with them. Nurses during their daily work transformed their caregiver role to adapt to diverse demands from the contexts, especially the institutional context.