Nurse-led group information for patients with breast cancer: Equal to individual information? A comparative study.
Karin Brochstedt Dieperink, Elisabeth Ellegaard, Anja Langkjær Astrup and 3 others
PMID 33318850WHAT IT FOUND
Nurse-led group information for breast cancer patients achieved similar knowledge and satisfaction to individual sessions.
While overall self-efficacy scores did not differ significantly, five specific self-efficacy items showed better outcomes in the group setting.
Key findings
01No significant differences were observed between individual and group information regarding knowledge of breast cancer treatment or support from healthcare professionals and peers.
02The sum score of general self-efficacy was not significantly different between groups, although statistically significant better outcomes were found in five out of ten individual questions for the group information patients.
03Group information required 2.5 nursing hours per week regardless of attendance, whereas individual information required 1 hour per patient, suggesting resource savings only if four or more patients attend.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study used a non-randomized, sequential comparative design, meaning other factors could have changed between the two time periods. No baseline data was collected, so pre-existing differences between the groups cannot be ruled out. 23 eligible patients were omitted from inclusion due to staff workload or oversight, introducing potential selection bias. The sample size was relatively small (44 and 46 per group). The questionnaires for knowledge and support were designed for the study and not previously validated. The study did not collect data on the experiences of family caregivers.
Declared interests
No conflicts of interest or funding sources were reported in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the significant results on five specific self-efficacy items as evidence that group information is superior for improving overall patient confidence. The primary measure, the total GSE sum score, showed no significant difference between the groups.