Implementing a central venous catheter self-management education program for patients with cancer

- A well-functioning CVC is needed to maintain until completion of cancer treatment.
- Patients with cancer who have CVCs need to know strategies for prevention and management of CVC complications.
- Nurses are the main healthcare professionals involved in teaching CVC management and providing related services.
- CVC S-MEP helps improve patients' self-care ability to manage their CVCs by providing practical information.

PurposeTo evaluate the effects of the central venous catheter self-management education program (CVC S-MEP) in improving knowledge, attitude, and behavior regarding CVC and in decreasing CVC-related complications in patients with cancer during homecare service.MethodsA quasi-experimental, sequential cohort design study of patients with cancer and who have CVCs was performed to compare the effect of CVC S-MEP with usual care.ResultsThe study group consisted of 45 participants (26 male and 19 female), and the mean age was 46.1 (SD, 10.5) years. The subjects of the CVC S-MEP had significantly high mean levels of self-management knowledge (p = 0.007), attitude (p < 0.001), and behavior (p = 0.002). Also, the participants in the CVC S-MEP had significantly lower frequency of catheter-related complications (p = 0.030).ConclusionsThe CVC S-MEP helped improve patients' ability to resolve problems and adequately respond to CVC-related emergency situations by fostering greater self-care ability. Additionally, providing practical information for CVC self-management in a gradual and repetitive manner had a notable positive effect on patients.