Educational intervention for patients with head and neck cancer in the discharge phase

PurposeThe consequences of head and neck cancer (HNC) treatment have great impact on patients' lives. Despite the importance of preparing patients for the period after discharge, patients frequently experience a lack of information. Aims of the study were to develop a nurse-led educational intervention to provide information during a discharge interview and to investigate the effects of the intervention on informational needs and satisfaction with information in HNC patients.MethodsA total of 48 patients participated in this quasi-experimental study. The control group (n = 26) received standard care, which included a short interview using the patients' discharge letter dictated by the nurse. The intervention group (n = 22) received the educational intervention, namely a discharge interview where trained nurses used a checklist to inform patients about: general information, wound-care, physical-social problems, work and finances. Effects associated with discharge interview were measured with the Patient Information Need Questionnaire (PINQ) and the Satisfaction with Cancer Information Profile.ResultsThe findings showed that patients need information concerning: illness, treatment, side-effects, physical fitness, impact on functioning, duration of recovery time and impact on quality of life. The educational intervention had no significant effect on the informational needs or the level of satisfaction with information.ConclusionsA nurse-led intervention to provide discharge information was developed however no effects on patient outcomes were found. Nurses need to use an instrument to assess the informational needs of patients prior to the discharge interview. The effects of the educational intervention need to be tested in a larger group of patients.