The effect of training performed using mobile application on supportive care requirements and quality of life in women with breast cancer: Randomized controlled trial

Breast cancer is the most common social problem in women, affecting quality of life and resulting in loss of life. This research was carried out to determine the effect of the education given with the mobile application on the supportive care needs and quality of life of women who underwent breast conserving surgery (BCS). The data of this study, which was performed in a parallel group (1:1) randomized controlled experimental design, were collected between 1 June 2022 and 1 October 2022. The study, whose sample size consisted of 84 women with breast cancer who underwent BCS, was completed with 81 (41 experimental-40 control) patients due to the participants leaving during the data collection process. The experimental group received training on supportive care needs within 1 week of their participation in the study, and standard training was applied to the control group via the mobile application. Data were collected from all participants who agreed to participate in the study with the "Personal Information Form, Supportive Care Needs Scale Short Form (DBQÖ-SF) and World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL-BREF) at the 4th and 8th weeks at the beginning. At the end of the study, feedback was received from the experimental group regarding the training given via the mobile application. Fisher's Exact Test and Chi-Square, Student's t Test, Mann-Whitney U were used in the analysis of the data, and Mauchly, Sphericity Assumed, Huynh-Feldt, Greenhouse Geisser tests were used for repeated tests. Statistical significance was accepted as p<0.05. Institutional permission, ethics committee permission, and informed consent of the patients were obtained from the hospital where the study was conducted. This study was registered in the Clinical Trials database with the number NCT04914780. While the DBRS scores of the women's first measurements before the study were similar in the experimental (85.37±23.58) and control (83.13±23.03) groups, they were different in the second and third measurements. In the experimental group, care needs decreased, making a significant difference in T2 and T3 measurements (54.34±27.28; 58.78±16.51). In the control group, the change in care needs (74.03±16.05; 81.88±15.81) was not significant. When the quality of life scores are examined; In the first measurements, there was no difference between the experimental and control groups (44.82±17.22; 45.94±12.14) (p>0.05). In the second and third measurements, the quality of life of the experimental group (72.26±14.12; 71.04±8.12) increased significantly. No significant change was detected in the control group (42.50±14.38; 45.63±8.28). When the relationship between women's supportive care needs and quality of life was examined at all measurement times; negative, the strength of the relationship was moderate and strong (range of rho=0.219-0.768). The experimental group's feedback on the mobile application was generally positive. As a result of this study, it was determined that the supportive care needs of the patients decreased and their quality of life increased as a result of the training given with the mobile application to the women who underwent BCS. Mobile health services can be a useful tool in nursing care in the clinic and other care settings to provide physical, psychological, socially interactive and practical support to patients.