Mobile web-based self-management program for breast cancer patients with chemotherapy-induced amenorrhoea: A quasi-experimental study.
Jin-Hee Park, Yong Sik Jung, Ji Young Kim and 1 others
PMID 34719131WHAT IT FOUND
Breast cancer patients with chemotherapy-induced amenorrhoea using a 12-week mobile web-based self-management program reported fewer menopausal symptoms, more confidence in managing their health, and better quality of life at 6 months than a control group in a non-randomised study.
Key findings
01At 6 months, the intervention group's menopausal symptom score rose 7.22 points on the 0 to 76 FACT-ES scale, where higher scores mean fewer symptoms, while the control group's score fell 0.21 points (p = .015).
02At 6 months, self-efficacy for breast cancer self-management increased 2.48 points on the 13 to 65 SESSM-B scale in the intervention group, compared with a 1.63-point decrease in the control group (p = .009).
03At 6 months, quality of life rose 8.07 points on the 0 to 108 FACT-G scale in the intervention group, while the control group fell 0.17 points (p = .016); physical well-being rose 4.48 points and emotional well-being rose 2.07 points.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was done at one university hospital with a convenience sample, so the results may not apply to other settings or patient groups. The groups were not randomly assigned. The control group was recruited in an earlier period than the intervention group, and the paper notes overlap between the intervention period and the control group's follow-up period. Only patients who could use a mobile device and respond to questionnaires were included, so patients with less digital access or more severe symptoms may be missing. All outcomes were self-reported, so menopausal symptoms, self-efficacy, and quality of life could be over- or underestimated. The paper reports 60 included and 51 analysed, with 85% retention. It also says one participant from each group was lost, which does not match the analysed counts of 27 and 24 out of 30. The program bundled education, coaching and psychosocial support, and a health diary, so the study cannot show which component produced the changes.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by the National Research Foundation of Korea.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that a mobile program alone caused the improvements. The intervention combined education, coaching and psychosocial support, and a health diary, and the study cannot separate their effects. It was also a non-randomised single-site study of 51 analysed patients, and outcomes were self-reported.