Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Quality of Life Index for patients with cancer

Relationships Between Colorectal Cancer Survivors' Positive Psychology, Symptoms, and Quality of Life

This cross-sectional study examined colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors' symptom and symptom cluster characteristics (occurrence, frequency, and severity), positive psychology (benefit-finding and post-traumatic growth), and quality of life (QoL), and determined whether positive psychology moderates symptoms and QoL relationship during acute cancer survivorship, time from diagnosis to treatment completion. A total of 117 CRC survivors completed demographics, symptoms, QoL, and positive psychology questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, multiple linear regression, and moderation analyses were performed. Participants reported high QoL (94%, M = 5.15) and moderate-high positive psychology (75%, M = 3.21). Nineteen symptoms and five symptom clusters were inversely related to QoL (p < .05). Positive psychology (M = ~≥3.24) moderated the relationship of QoL (p < .05) with symptoms occurrence (n = 10), symptom severity (n = 1), and with the generalized symptom cluster (weakness, fatigue, dizziness, drowsy, sleep disturbances, and pain). Positive psychology aids in symptom management and improves QoL. Nurses are poised to identify, prevent, promote, and advocate self-management skills to improve health-related outcomes.

Effectiveness of an online support program to help female cancer patients manage their health and illness: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background

The aim of the trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions provided by online support program apps, adopting health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) scores as indicators.

Methods

The design is as an open, randomized, parallel-group trial with longitudinal data collection. The subjects will be female cancer patients receiving treatment in a Japanese National Cancer Hospital. Patients assigned to the experimental group will use three apps: an app for them to monitor their own health (monitoring app), an app to assess their understanding of their diagnosis and treatment and their readiness to receive treatment (confirmation app), and an app to address mental health issues (writing app); patients assigned to the control group will use only the monitoring app. At baseline (before patients undergo cancer treatment) and three other times during the study, evaluation indicators will be obtained from three different standardized HR-QOL scales that are incorporated in the monitoring app. The study hypothesis is that at 6 months after patients’ baseline health monitoring, patients in the experimental group will have improved HR-QOL as compared with patients in the control group.

Conclusion

This study is based on self-regulation theory, so it is important that the online support program works in an efficient way with respect to patients finding and setting their own health-related goals and adapting their behaviors to achieve those goals. Verifying the effectiveness of the combination of the three apps will show that it is a scientifically valid approach to maintaining or improving the HR-QOL of cancer patients.