Evaluating the Effects of a Mobile Health App on Reducing Patient Care Needs and Improving Quality of Life After Oral Cancer Surgery: Quasiexperimental Study.

BACKGROUND: Intervention with a mobile Health (mHealth) app can improve the efficacy of early detection of oral cancer and the outcomes for patients taking oral anticancer medications. The quality of life of oral cancer patients is significantly reduced within three months after surgery; also, their needs for nursing care and health information increase, mainly due to side effects and associated psychological problems. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate changes in the care needs and quality of life of patients with oral cancer after receiving the intervention of a newly developed mHealth app. METHODS: After surgery, oral cancer patients were divided into an experimental group (n=50) who received the mHealth app intervention and a control group (n=50) who received routine health care and instruction. After 3 months of intervention, survey questionnaires were used to assess the patients' quality of life, nursing care needs, and acceptance of the mHealth app. RESULTS: The physiological care needs were significantly decreased in the experimental group compared with the control group (P<.05). Although the differences were not statistically significant, the psychological needs, communication needs, and care support needs all improved after the mHealth app intervention. The overall improvement in quality of life was higher in the experimental group than in the control group (-7.24 vs -4.36). In terms of intention to use, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use, the acceptability scores of the mHealth app were significantly increased after 3 months of intervention (P<.05). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with routine health care and instruction, for patients after surgery, the education/information intervention using the mHealth app significantly reduced their nursing care needs, improved their quality of life, and increased their acceptance of using an mHealth app on a mobile device. These findings can provide a theoretical basis for future health care app design and improvement. This study suggests that an mHealth app should be incorporated into the routine care of oral cancer patients to provide medical information quickly and improve their self-management abilities, thereby reducing the patients' need for physiological care and improving their quality of life. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04049968; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04049968.

Correlation Between Postoperative Health-Related Quality of Life and Care Needs of Oral Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND: Oral cancer is the fifth most common form of cancer in Taiwan in terms of incidence and death rate and results in at least 2700 deaths each year. OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to assess the postoperative health-related quality of life (QOL) and care needs of oral cancer patients comprehensively and to evaluate the correlation between health-related QOL and care needs. INTERVENTIONS/METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled 126 oral cancer patients who had received surgical treatment within the previous 2 years and were without cognitive impairment. Each patient completed a demographic questionnaire, the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Head and Neck Cancer Quality of Life Scale, and the Short-Form Cancer Needs Questionnaire. RESULTS: Female patients and patients receiving 3 or more chemotherapy treatments were significantly associated with increased Short-Form Cancer Needs Questionnaire scores (higher level of care needs) (ß = 0.177 and 28.49, both P < .05) and patients receiving 3 or more chemotherapy treatments were significantly associated with increased Head and Neck Cancer Quality of Life Scale scores (higher level of symptoms and problems) (ß = 27.77, P = .007). Results of stepwise multiple linear regression analysis indicated that 4 oral cancer-related symptoms and problems, "trouble with social contacts," "swallowing problems," "teeth problems," and "feeling ill," were significantly associated with higher care needs in oral cancer patients (all P ≤ .05). CONCLUSION: A significant correlation exists between health-related QOL and care needs. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Using a valid health-related QOL scale may help nurses determine their perceived physical and psychological care needs.

Relationship between interdialytic weight gain and nutritional markers in younger and older hemodialysis patients.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to investigate the correlations of interdialytic weight gain (IDWG) with the Malnutrition Inflammation Score (MIS) and other nutritional markers, especially when age difference is considered. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study. SETTING: The setting was an outpatient hemodialysis (HD) center in a community hospital. PATIENTS: Excluding those with obvious inflammatory diseases, hospitalizations, and major surgery within the preceding 3 months, we enrolled all anuric patients who had undergone maintenance hemodialysis three times a week for >1 year. In total, 84 women and 80 men were enrolled. Their age (mean +/- SD) was 57.9 +/- 13.0 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The conditions of food intake and nutritional status were evaluated with MIS items. Concerning IDWG, the average of 12 sessions within 4 weeks was used. The relative IDWG (RIDWG) was calculated as IDWG divided by the respective dry weight. Other laboratory data were obtained from routine monthly sampling. RESULTS: Whereas IDWG and RIDWG had no significant correlation with any of the MIS items in younger patients (<65 years old; n = 106), RIDWG had a positive correlation with the severity of insufficient food intake, gastrointestinal upset, functional incapacity, and wasting of muscle and subcutaneous fat in older patients (>/=65 years old; n = 58). On the other hand, IDWG and RIDWG had no significant correlation with serum albumin level in younger and older HD patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that in older HD patients, the greater that the RIDWG is, the poorer the nutritional status will be. However, there is still controversy regarding IDWG and RIDWG as nutritional markers in HD patients.