The effect of tele-nursing supported respiratory exercise education and monitoring on dyspnea and quality of life in tuberculosis patients

ABSTRACT The Effect of Tele-nursing Supported Respiratory Exercise Education and Monitoring on Dyspnea and Quality of Life in Tuberculosis Patients. Objective: This study was conducted to determine the effect of structured respiratory exercise training and follow-up, delivered via tele-nursing, on the dyspnea levels and quality of life of tuberculosis patients. Material and Methods: The study was planned with a quasi-experimental, single-group pre-test-post-test design. The study was completed with 54 tuberculosis patients who were registered at a tuberculosis dispensary, met the inclusion criteria, and voluntarily participated. Data were collected using the Patient Information Form, the Dyspnea-12 TR Scale, MILQ, LCADL and Tele-nursing Follow-up and Evaluation Forms. A four-week structured training program, including diaphragmatic breathing, pursed-lip breathing, and coughing exercises, was delivered using a booklet and videos prepared by the researcher. Subsequently, patients were regularly monitored for eight weeks via text messages and phone calls. All participants completed a pre-test using the scales during the initial interview, and a post-test evaluation was performed at the end of the 12-week period. In addition to descriptive statistics, the paired samples t-test,Anova test and the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test were used for data analysis. Results: At the beginning of the study, a significant, strong, negative correlation was found between dyspnea levels and quality of life scores (p<0.001). After the intervention, a significant decrease was detected in the mean total and subscale scores of the Dyspnea-12 TR Scale, while a significant increase was observed in the total and subscale scores of the MILQ (p<0.001). A statistically significant decrease was also observed in the LCADL scores (p<0.001). Conclusion: The findings indicate that structured respiratory exercise training and follow-up, delivered with tele-nursing support, significantly improve the functional capacity and quality of life of tuberculosis patients by reducing their dyspnea levels. This study strongly supports that tele-nursing applications are an effective, accessible, and holistic method for dyspnea management and improving quality of life. Keywords: Tuberculosis, tele-nursing, respiratory exercises, dyspnea, quality of life.