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.