A Subacute Care Intervention for Short-Stay Breast Cancer Surgery Self-Test Kit: Rapid Diagnosis of Urogenital Infections in Military Women
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to add to the scientific basis for providing subacute care in the home, by testing the effects of an immediate post-operative intervention designed to facilitate quality of life as well as physical and psychological well-being after diagnosis and surgery for breast cancer. A 2-group randomized clinical trial with repeated measures will examine the effects of the intervention. The control group (n=100) will receive customary medical care. The intervention group (n=100) will receive individual physical and psychological support in the home through a minimum of 2 telephone calls and 2 in-home visits from a registered nurse within the first 14 post-operative days. To participate in the study, a woman must be at least 21 years of age, be scheduled for breast cancer surgery and, ultimately, discharged from the hospital within 48 hours. Data collection for both groups occurs at recruitment prior to surgery and again at 4 weeks post-surgery before beginning adjuvant therapy. Between group comparisons of quality of life, physical and psychological well-being will be made. We hypothesize that, compared to the control participants, recipients of the intervention will report: (1) higher quality of life, (2) fewer surgical wound complications, (3) higher physical functioning, (4) lower anxiety levels, (5) fewer physical symptoms, and (6) lower out-of-pocket expenses associated with health care during the intervention period. While data is still too limited for extensive statistical analysis, both physicians and intervention participants report anecdotally that they are pleased with the outcomes of the study, e.g., lower anxiety and comprehensive post-surgical education.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADB241630
Entities
People
- Gwen K. Wyatt
Organizations
- Michigan State University