A qualitative study about cancer outpatients' experiences with selective taste control of bread as a self-care intervention.
Marleen Corremans, Edwig Goossens, Jef Adriaenssens and 2 others
PMID 34146375WHAT IT FOUND
Eleven cancer outpatients in a personalized bread intervention described feeling less like a passive patient, useful at home, more aware of their own tastes, and heard by nurses.
They also raised practical limits, such as difficult digital communication.
Key findings
01Eleven patients described five themes: stepping out of the passive patient role, having something positive to do, gaining insight, receiving recognition, and practical limitations.
02Patients said the intervention helped them regain identity as a person and as a family member, and gave them something positive to talk about.
03Patients also reported practical limitations, including digital communication that did not always work and individual modifications being needed.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 11 patients were interviewed, and only patients who completed the full intervention were invited. 23 patients were asked to use the recipes, so the interview sample may not represent those who did not take part or did not finish. The authors state the intervention study did not use randomisation; patients chose whether to bake their own bread, which may bias who reported positive experiences. Digital communication did not always work, and some patients needed individual modifications. The study took place in one hospital, so it may not apply to other settings.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest. Funding was provided by Kom op tegen Kanker.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the personalized bread intervention treats chemotherapy-induced taste disturbances or improves weight or quality of life. This study only reports experiences of 11 patients who completed the intervention, and the authors state the intervention was not randomised.