Diary for self-observation: A self-management tool for recipients of lung transplantation-A pilot study.
Laura Evald, Jytte Graarup, Ida Elisabeth Højskov
PMID 33072360WHAT IT FOUND
Eleven lung transplant questionnaire responders used a printed diary regularly, but some stopped when stable and nurses did not consistently ask about it at follow-up.
Key findings
01Eleven responders used the diary regularly. Four responders did not, because they forgot or felt stable.
02Nurses found the diary helpful for patients' routine self-monitoring at home, but they rarely asked about it during follow-ups.
03Eleven responders did not bring the diary to follow-ups, and a decreasing peak flow was recorded without appropriate reaction and discovered at an outpatient clinic visit.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This was a small pilot carried out at one site, so the experience may not transfer to other centres. There was no control group or baseline measurement, so the study cannot show whether the diary improved health, reduced hospitalizations, or helped patients react appropriately to abnormal readings. Only 15 responders completed the patient questionnaire and only four nurses took part in the focus group, so the findings may not represent all patients or staff. The patient questionnaire was cross-sectional and completed 1 to 9 months after the diary was given, so it did not follow how diary use changed over time. The diary was introduced as a supplement to the existing education programme, so the study cannot separate the diary's contribution from that programme. The study did not measure the health benefits of the intervention.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the diary alone improved lung transplant outcomes or prevented rejection. It was given alongside the existing education programme, there was no control group or baseline, and the study measured only diary use and experiences.