{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Effect of a telephone-based perioperative nurse-led counselling programme on unmet needs, quality of life and sexual function in colorectal cancer patients: A non-randomised quasi-experimental study.
{Author}: Cihan E;Vural F;
{Journal}: Eur J Oncol Nurs
{Volume}: 68
{Issue}: 0
{Year}: 2024 Feb 7
{Factor}: 2.588
{DOI}: 10.1016/j.ejon.2024.102504
{Abstract}: OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of perioperative nurse-led counselling intervention on unmet needs, sexual function and quality of life in colorectal cancer patients.
METHODS: This quasi-experimental study included 82 patients who underwent colorectal cancer surgery (control n = 45, intervention n = 37). The telephone-based perioperative nurse-led counselling intervention, which contained implementation, follow-up, and assessment, was applied to start from pre-surgery to post-surgery 3rd month. Data were collected with the Unmet Needs of Cancer Survivors Scale, European Organisation for Treatment and Research of Cancer Quality of Life Scale-30, Colorectal-29, Female Sexual Function Index, and International Index of Erectile Function pre- and post-surgery 3rd-6th months. The control data was collected before the pandemic, and the intervention group throughout the pandemic. The Mann-Whitney-U, Wilcoxon rank test was used.
RESULTS: Compared to the control group, intervention group patients reported lower unmet and total needs scores (p = 0.000); higher quality of life (p = 0.000), physical, emotional (p = 0.000), role (p = 0.001), and social functioning scores (p = 0.002); lower fatigue (p = 0.000), constipation (p = 0.034), pain (p = 0.018), nausea-vomiting (p = 0.004), and insomnia scores (p = 0.003); and higher body image, anxiety (p = 0.000) and weight scores (p = 0.003), lower urinary frequency buttock pain (p = 0.000), dysuria (p = 0.001), abdominal pain (p = 0.001), fluctuance (p = 0.000), stool frequency (p = 0.002), and faecal incontinence (p = 0.006) scores at the sixth month (p < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between male and female sexual function scores (p > 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: Perioperative nurse-led counselling reduced unmet needs and increased the overall quality of life by decreasing symptom levels but did not affect sexual health outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer surgery.