The effect of nurse-led remote telephone triage on symptom management of patients with cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cancer patients experience many symptoms. Nurse-led remote telephone triage can improve their quality of life by contributing to the management of these symptoms. AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the effects of nurse-led remote telephone triage on symptom management of patients with cancer. METHODS: The searches were conducted in 10 databases and gray literature from May 2023 to July 2023 without any year limitations. A fixed-effects model was used in the meta-analysis. Cochran's Q chi-squared test and I2 statistics were used for heterogeneity. The PRISMA checklist was used. Data obtained from the included studies were analyzed using CMA 3 software. RESULTS: Six relevant studies (1671 patients) were included. Nurse-led remote telephone triage was found to have a positive and moderate effect on parameters such as pain (Hedge's g = 0.21, p < .001), fatigue (Hedge's g = 0.28, p < .001), and depression (Hedge's g = 0.24, p < .001) in patients with cancer. Also, the remote telephone triage had a positive and low effect on outcomes such as anxiety (Hedge's g = 0.17, p = .001), nausea (Hedge's g = 0.17, p = .004), and vomiting (Hedge's g = 0.16, p = .007) but did not affect diarrhea results. LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: This study showed that nurse-led remote telephone triage considerably improved the symptoms of patients with cancer. This study will increase oncology nurses' awareness that nurse-led remote telephone triage of patients with cancer can improve their symptoms. Remote symptom triage developed using evidence-based guidelines and protocols can significantly contribute to the regular follow-up of patients' symptoms, providing quality care, and establishing appropriate symptom management programs and systems with high levels of evidence.

Research Trends and Highlights Toward Virtual Reality in Patients With Cancer: Bibliometric Analysis.

This retrospective bibliometric analysis was conducted to explore research trends and identify studies in fields of nursing, virtual reality, and cancer. Data were obtained from the Web of Science database using an advanced search strategy. The study data were analyzed using the R Studio software and visualized using VOSviewer. A total of 594 studies were retrieved and analyzed from January 1995 to December 2021. It was determined that 59.4% of the studies were research articles and that these studies had been conducted by 2771 authors. The reviewed studies were produced by researchers from 25 countries and were published in 29 different journals. Of these, 169 were conducted by researchers in the United States. "Virtual reality" and "nursing" were found to be prominent topics. Studies on virtual reality in patients with cancer in the field of nursing have increased over the past 8 years. Researchers have actively conducted studies in this field. Prominent studies have covered various patients with cancer in all age groups and palliative care processes. It was seen that the majority of the studies were randomized controlled trials, reviews, and systematic reviews. In addition, studies have used virtual reality as a distraction method in the management of symptoms in patients with breast, lung, and pediatric cancers undergoing chemotherapy treatment. This study provides a detailed and up-to-date analysis of the findings obtained from the Web of Science database by emphasizing bibliometric models of virtual reality technologies in nursing patients with cancer. We believe that the current data on the use of virtual reality applications in patients with cancer will guide the clinical practice and scientific studies of healthcare professionals.

The Effect of Coaching Programs on Physical Activity and Pain in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

OBJECTIVES: Coaching programs are used to achieve continuity in physical activity and reduce pain severity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Our aim was to examine the effects of coaching programs on physical activity and pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis through randomized controlled trials. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Science Direct, EBSCOhost/CINAHL Complete, Springer Link, ProQuest, and Ovid databases were searched without year limitations in English until May 2023. REVIEW/ANALYSIS METHODS: PRISMA guideline was employed. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 3 software was used to analyze the meta-analysis data. Two researchers independently assessed the quality of the included studies using the Cochrane Collaboration tool. RESULTS: This study included six randomized controlled trials with a total of 983 participants. It was determined that the coaching programs were effective in improving physical activity levels (95% CI = 0.14-0.39, Hedge's g = 0.27, p < .001) and reducing pain (95% CI = 0.07-0.39, Hedge's g = 0.23, p = .006) in the intervention groups compared with the control groups. It was determined that the application of coaching programs in the form of face-to-face sessions and phone calls at 7-10 sessions per year in patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis was beneficial in pain management and improving physical activity levels. CONCLUSIONS: Face-to-face sessions and telephone interviews are recommended as part of a coaching program for the maintenance of physical activity and pain management in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Coaching programs can improve patients' functional status. There is a need to determine effective strategies by increasing awareness of the coaching programs implemented by nurses.

A retrospective study of treatment and outcomes of patients with lymphoma undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: A single-center experience.

BACKGROUND: Early evaluation of symptoms and taking appropriate preventive measures can improve outcomes for patients with lymphoma undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). This study aimed to examine the treatment and outcomes of patients with lymphoma undergoing HSCT. METHODS: Patients with lymphoma undergoing SCT at a university hospital between 15.06.2018 and 15.06.2020, were selected for a retrospective study. The medical treatments of patients were obtained from the records on the Hospital Information Management System (HIMS) database. The study was reported following the STROBE checklist. RESULTS: Sixty-four patients were analyzed. The mean age of the patients was 48.25 ± 16.93 (p = 0.76). Although relapse developed in 26 (40.6%) patients with lymphoma, remission was achieved in 38 (59.4%) patients. The incidence of skin graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) symptoms in patients with relapse [14(53.8%)] was found to be significantly higher than in patients in remission [4(10.5%)] (p < 0.001). The most common symptoms seen in patients undergoing HSCT were oral mucositis (78.1%), febrile neutropenia (68.8%), and anemia (56.3%). In the treatments applied after SCT, the administration of antifungal (p = 0.033), analgesic (p = 0.001), and anticoagulant (p = 0.008) treatments to the patients who were in remission compared with the relapsed patients was significant. Less courses (OR: 0.446; 95% CI: 0.22-0.907; p = 0.026), analgesic therapy (OR:6.22; 95% CI: 1.61-24.027; p = 0.008), and anticoagulant treatment (OR:7.13; %) 95 CI: 1.374-37.1; p = 0.019) were found to increase the risk of relapse. Because of the increase in the number of cures in SCT, the incidence of diarrhea (p = 0.016) and GIS GVHD (p = 0.022) was high. It was determined that the hospitalization period was shorter in patients with febrile neutropenia (p = 0.021), thrombocytopenia/bleeding (p = 0.031), and secretion (p = 0.036) symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Patients experienced severe symptoms such as oral mucositis, febrile neutropenia, and anemia due to HSCT, and necessary treatment was applied for the symptoms. Further clinical studies must determine the symptoms and patient outcomes associated with SCT. It is predicted that patients will benefit from regular follow-up of their symptoms and planning of appropriate evidence-based nursing interventions and that this will improve the quality of care to be offered to them and increase their life span.

Evaluation of Code Blue Notifications and Their Results: A University Hospital Example.

OBJECTIVE: Code blue is one of the important practices for preventing mortality and morbidity and increasing the quality of care in hospitals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the blue code notifications and their results, emphasise their importance, and determine the effectiveness and deficiencies of the application. METHODS: In this study, all code blue notification forms recorded between January 1 and December 31, 2019, were examined retrospectively. RESULTS: It was determined that code blue calls were made for 108 cases, including 61 females and 47 males, and the mean age of the patients was 56.47 ± 20.73. The accuracy rate of the code blue calls was determined as 42.6%, and 57.4% of them were made during non-working hours. Also, 15.2% of the correct code blue calls were made from dialysis and radiology units. The mean time for the teams to reach the scene was 2.83 ± 1.30 minutes, and the mean time to respond to correctly made code blue calls was 33.97 ± 17.95 minutes. It was found that 15.7% of the patients in correctly made code blue calls were exitus after the intervention. CONCLUSION: Early diagnosis of cardiac or respiratory arrest cases and quick and correct intervention are very important in achieving patient and employee safety. For this reason, it is necessary to continuously evaluate code blue practices, educate the staff, and organise improvement activities constantly.

Effectiveness of interprofessional simulation-based education programs to improve teamwork and communication for students in the healthcare profession: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Factors, such as the dynamic and variable structure of healthcare services, the introduction of new care models and technological developments, and requirements for patient safety, quality, and accreditation, require new content, goals, and models in the education and practice of health disciplines. Curriculum studies should be planned by today's requirements and competencies to be gained in interprofessional simulation-based education. OBJECTIVES: This systematic review and meta-analysis study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of interprofessional simulation-based education programs for improving teamwork and communication among students in the healthcare profession. METHODS: In this study, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Springer Link, Science Direct, Ovid, PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, EBSCOhost/CINAHL Complete, and MEDLINE databases were searched without year limitations until April 2022. Two independent researchers reviewed the studies and analyzed the data. Two researchers evaluated the methodological quality of the studies using the Cochrane Collaboration tool (RoB 2.0). This study was prepared in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) statement. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) 3 software was used for meta-analysis. RESULTS: Eight randomized controlled trials conducted with 819 participants were included in this study. The evaluation of meta-analysis data showed that interprofessional simulation-based education programs significantly improved teamwork (Hedge's g = 0.41, p < 0.001, 95 % CI = 0.25 to 0.56) and communication (Hedge's g = 0.54, p < 0.001, 95 % CI = 0.26 to 0.82). The results of the sensitivity analysis showed that teamwork and communication were stable. CONCLUSION: Interprofessional simulation-based education programs seem to be an appropriate method for improving teamwork and communication among healthcare students. In the future, it is thought that there is a need to individualize interprofessional simulation-based education programs based on cultural differences and socio-demographic characteristics of healthcare students and to plan studies that examine long-term results. REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42022325514 (PROSPERO).

Effect of peer mentoring on physical activity in patients with cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To systematically examine the effect of peer mentoring applied to patients with cancer on physical activity. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted as a result of reviewing randomised controlled trials. No year limitation was set, and studies published in English were included in the study. Web of Science, Science Direct, PubMed, ProQuest, EBSCOhost/CINAHL Complete, Springer Link, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE and Ovid databases were searched up to January 2022. The Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 3 software was used to analyse the meta-analysis data. PRISMA was employed. The Cochrane Collaboration tool was evaluated by two independent researchers. RESULTS: Six studies with a total of 1.551 participants were included in the meta-analysis. The results showed that peer mentoring had positive medium effects on the physical activity process (95% Cl = 0.15 to 0.49, p < .001 and Hedge's g = 0.322). The results of the sensitivity analysis confirmed the reliability of the outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS: Peer mentoring was found to have positive effects on improving the level of physical activity in patients with cancer. The use of peer mentoring can offer a holistic perspective by improving the quality and functional status of care. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Peer mentoring can be beneficial in terms of being a comfortable method and improving the physical activity levels of patients. In addition, health professionals' awareness of peer mentoring in terms of the provision of holistic care will increase.

The effect of cryotherapy on oral mucositis management in patients undergoing stem cell transplantation: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

AIM: This study aimed to investigate the effect of cryotherapy on oral mucositis management in patients undergoing stem cell transplantation. BACKGROUND: Oral mucositis is among the most common symptoms of stem cell transplantation. Cryotherapy may be an important treatment option in the oral mucositis process. DESIGN: A systematic review. DATA SOURCES: A literature review of studies published in the English language was conducted on Web of Science, Springer Link, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, Ovid, EBSCOhost/CINAHL Complete and MEDLINE databases until April 2022. The studies reviewed covered the years between 2006 and 2020. The data were summarized narratively. REVIEW METHODS: This systematic review was organized in accordance with the Cochrane 2022 guidelines and reported using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. RESULTS: Nine studies were included in the systematic review. No significant publication bias was found in the main results. The results showed that the cryotherapy intervention had a positive effect on oral mucositis in patients undergoing stem cell transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: In this systematic review of nine randomized controlled trials, the majority of the studies show that cryotherapy intervention can be an effective method for reducing oral mucositis in patients undergoing stem cell transplantation.

The effect of music therapy interventions on fatigue in patients with hematological cancers: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

PURPOSE: To systematically synthesize the effect of music therapy interventions applied to patients with hematological cancer on fatigue. METHODS: The searches were conducted on PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCOhost/CINAHL Complete, Science Direct, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Ovid, ProQuest, and Springer Link databases until August 2021 without any year limitation. The review covered the period between 2003 and 2020. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 3 software was used in the analysis of meta-analysis data. The meta-analysis was carried out following the PRISMA checklist. Risks of bias were examined by two independent researchers using the Cochrane Collaboration tool. RESULTS: Six randomized controlled trials consisting of 279 participants were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. The count of music therapy interventions in the included studies ranged between 1 and 8 sessions per participant, each of which was 20 to 45 min long. The music therapy interventions applied to patients with hematological cancers were found to be effective in reducing the severity of fatigue (95% Cl = 0.10 ~ 0.57; Hedge's g = 0.03; p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the meta-analysis indicated that music therapy interventions made important and positive contributions to reducing fatigue in patients with hematological cancer. Music therapy interventions are a convenient method to reduce fatigue because they are comfortable and non-invasive. It will be beneficial to increase the awareness of nurses about the implementation of music therapy interventions. It is recommended that music therapy interventions applied to patients with a diagnosis of hematological cancer should be considered interventions that can be used together with other non-pharmacological or pharmacological methods to reduce fatigue.

Development and evaluation of the efficacy of a web-based education program among cancer patients undergoing treatment with systemic chemotherapy: a randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: The study aimed to develop a web-based education program among cancer patients undergoing treatment with systemic chemotherapy and to evaluate the efficacy of the program on symptom control, quality of life, self-efficacy, and depression. METHODS: A web-based education program was prepared in line with patient needs, evidence-based guidelines, and expert opinions and tested with 10 cancer patients. The single-blind, randomized controlled study was conducted at a medical oncology unit of a university hospital. Pretests were applied to 60 cancer patients undergoing treatment with systemic chemotherapy, and the patients (intervention: 30, control: 30) were randomized. The intervention group used a web-based education program for 3 months, and they were allowed to communicate with researchers 24/7 via the website. The efficacy of a web-based education program at baseline and after 12 weeks was evaluated. The CONSORT 2010 guideline was performed. RESULTS: In the first phase results of the study, it was found that most of the patients with cancer wanted to receive education about symptom management and the side effects of the treatment. Expert opinions on the developed website were found to be compatible with each other (Kendall's Wa = 0.233, p = 0.008). According to the randomized controlled study results, patients who received web-based education reported significantly fewer symptoms (p = 0.026) and better quality of life (p = 0.001), but there was no statistically significant difference in the self-efficacy and depression levels during the 3-month follow-up period (p˃0.05). The most frequently visited links in the web-based education program by the patients with cancer were the management of chemotherapy-related symptoms (62.6%). CONCLUSION: A web-based education program was found to be efficacy in remote symptom management and improving the quality of life of cancer patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov , NCT05076916 (October 12, 2021, retrospectively registered).

The effect of decision support systems on pain in patients with cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to systematically examine the effect of decision support systems (DSSs) applied to patients with cancer on pain severity. REVIEW METHODS: Systematic review and meta-analysis. A search was done on Web of Science, Science Direct, PubMed, ProQuest, EBSCOhost/CINAHL Complete, Scopus, Springer Link, Cochrane Library, and Ovid databases, which covered a period until September 2021. Meta-analysis of the data was conducted on the CMA 3 software package. Comprehensive reviews were conducted by two independent researchers in line with the PICOS criteria. The study was conducted according to the PRISMA checklist. FINDINGS: Five randomized controlled trials with 1.880 participants were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. In the study, visits, consultations, simulation of patient outcomes, telephone support, and email applications were employed for periods ranging from 6 weeks to 6 months. The evaluation of the meta-analysis results indicated that DSSs had positive effects on pain severity in patients with cancer (Hedge's g = 0.22; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis show that DSSs can be used as an effective and comfortable technological application in reducing the severity of pain in patients with cancer. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The use of DSSs for pain severity in patients with cancer is an effective method. In line with the findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis, awareness and knowledge levels of all health disciplines about DSSs will increase. It is believed that the use of DSSs to improve patient-centered care will be guiding.

The effect of nurse-led care on fatigue in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled studies.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the effect of nurse-led care on fatigue in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. BACKGROUND: Evaluating the effect of nurse-led care on fatigue in patients with rheumatoid arthritis will be useful in planning appropriate nursing interventions to increase the functional status and quality of life of patients. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: A comprehensive literature review was conducted on the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PubMed, EBSCOhost/CINAHL Complete, Springer Link, ProQuest, Science Direct and Ovid databases. The selected articles were examined by two independent ratters with the PICOS criteria, and the methodological quality of the studies included in the study was evaluated with the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies. The Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 3 software was used in the analysis of the data. The study was conducted using the checklist for PRISMA. RESULTS: This meta-analysis study included six of 1,445 randomised controlled trials. These six studies consisted of a total of 994 patients and provided education and psychosocial support through 30-minute to 2-hour consultations, visits and briefings. No significant publication bias was found in the main outcomes. According to the results of the meta-analysis, the fatigue in patients with rheumatoid arthritis decreased significantly in nurse-led care groups compared with control groups (Hedge's g = -0.18; 95% CI = -0.3 to -0.06). CONCLUSIONS: The findings in this systematic review and meta-analysis indicated that nurse-led care played an important role in reducing fatigue in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Nurse-led care is an effective and appropriate method in reducing fatigue in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The awareness of all health professionals about the importance of nurse-led care will increase. We recommend the implementation of nurse-led education and psychosocial support interventions to reduce the fatigue of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

The effect of web-based intervention programs on self-management and symptom management in patients with lymphoma: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

AIM: This systematic review aimed to systematically summarize studies obtained through a database search and examine the effect of web-based intervention programs on self-management and symptom management in patients with lymphoma. METHODS: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials was carried out. Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, ProQuest, Science Direct, and Ovid databases were reviewed until January 2021. The flow chart of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis checklist was used in the search procedure without setting a year limit. Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes and Study criteria were determined by two independent investigators and published randomized controlled studies in English with lymphoma diagnosis and web-based intervention programs for self-management and symptom management were included in the systematic review. The included studies were examined for their risk of bias with the help of the Cochrane Collaboration tool. A narrative synthesis of study findings was performed. RESULTS: Six randomized controlled trials with 2382 participants were included in the systematic review. Web-based intervention programs in patients diagnosed with lymphoma were found to be generally implemented for determining the levels of self-management and symptom management. In all of the studies reviewed, it was found that the interventions had treatment outcomes. The risk of Bias 2 was evaluated as high risk in two studies that did not meet the criteria for blinding outcome evaluations. The included studies, while evaluating the effects of web-based intervention programs on patient outcomes, could not provide information about the underlying mechanisms by which these effects occur and how they occur. CONCLUSIONS: All of the studies included were found to apply a technology designed to improve outcomes in patients with lymphoma. It is recommended that web-based intervention programs be individualized by adapting them to lymphoma types and stages, and serve as a guide for effective symptom management.

Symptom Clustering and Its Effect on Functional Status in Lymphoma Patients.

AIM: The study aimed to determine the effect of symptom clustering and its effect on functional status in patients with lymphoma. METHOD: This descriptive study was conducted with 109 patients with lymphoma in the Hematology Clinic, Hematology Outpatient Clinic, and Chemotherapy Day Unit of a university hospital. Personal information form, Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale to assess symptoms, and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lymphoma to assess functional status were used in data collection. Frequency, percentage, arithmetic mean, significance test of difference between two means, Mann-Whitney U test, one-way analysis of variance, Kruskal Wallis analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation test, Cronbach's alpha internal consistency test, and cluster analysis were used to evaluate the data. RESULTS: According to the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale, the most common psychological symptoms in these patients were sleep disturbance, feeling sad and worried; whereas, their physical symptoms were pain, nausea, and dry mouth. Based on the results of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lymphoma Scale, it was found that the functional lives of the patients were negatively affected due to pain, low energy, feeling sad, worrying about the deterioration of the condition, fatigue and pain in certain parts of the body. In the frequency and severity subscales of Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale, gastrointestinal system symptoms were collected more intensively in the first clusters. Physical and psychological symptoms were regularly distributed in the distress subscale. CONCLUSION: As the symptom frequency, severity and distress subscales of Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale increased in lymphoma patients, their functional status deteriorated.