Relationship between the Physical and Psychosocial Conditions of Postoperative Gastrointestinal Cancer Patients and their Responses to an Informational Material

Mobile Breast Cancer e-Support Program for Chinese Women With Breast Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy (Part 3): Secondary Data Analysis

Background

Many app-based interventions targeting women with breast cancer have been developed and tested for effectiveness. However, information regarding the evaluation of the usage of these interventions is scarce. A better understanding of usage data is important to determine how women use apps and how these interventions affect health outcomes.

Objective

This study aimed to examine the usage duration and login frequency of an app-based intervention, the Breast Cancer e-Support (BCS) program, and to investigate the association between usage data and participants’ demographic and medical characteristics.

Methods

This study is a secondary data analysis of a randomized controlled trial assessing the effectiveness of the BCS program. The BCS program contains four modules: Learning Forum, Discussion Forum, Ask-the-Expert Forum, and Your Story Forum. A total of 57 women in the intervention group accessed the BCS program during their 12-week chemotherapy. The app’s background system tracked the usage duration and login frequency for each forum and the entire BCS program.

Results

The total usage duration per participant ranged from 0 to 9371 minutes, and the login frequency per participant ranged from 0 to 774 times. The Discussion Forum and the Learning Forum were the most frequently used modules. The general linear model showed that age, education, family monthly income, and employment were associated with BCS usage duration and/or login frequency. Age (F_1,45=10.09, P=.003, B=115.34, 95% CI 42.22-188.47) and education level (F_1,45=7.22, P=.01, B=1949.63, 95% CI 487.76-3411.50) were positively associated with the usage duration of the entire BCS program. Family monthly income was positively associated with the usage duration of the Learning Forum (F_1,45=11.85, P=.001, B=1488.55, 95% CI 617.58-2359.51) and the login frequency of the entire BCS program (F_1,45=4.47, P=.04, B=113.68, 95% CI 5.33-222.03). Employment was negatively associated with the usage duration of the Ask-the-expert Forum (F_1,45=4.50, P=.04, B=–971.87, 95% CI –1894.66 to –49.07) and the Your Story Forum (F_1,45=5.36, P=.03, B=–640.71, 95% CI –1198.30 to –83.11) and positively associated with the login frequency of the entire BCS program (F_1,45=10.86, P=.002, B=192.88, 95% CI 75.01-310.74). No statistical differences were found between BCS usage data and cancer stage, BMI, comorbidity, types of surgery, or cycles of chemotherapy.

Conclusions

Overall, this study found considerable variability in the usage of app-based interventions. When health care professionals incorporate app-based interventions into their routine care for women with breast cancer, the learning and discussion functions of apps should be strengthened to promote engagement. Additionally, characteristics of women with breast cancer, such as age, level of education, income, and employment status, should be taken in consideration to develop tailored apps that address their particular needs and therefore improve their engagement with the app.

Trial Registration

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12616000639426; http://www.ANZCTR.org.au/ACTRN12616000639426.aspx

Retrospective study on recovery of 521 gastrointestinal tumor patients after laparoscopic surgery

Influencing factors for recovery of patients with gastrointestinal tumor after laparoscopic surgery were explored to promote recovery of patients. Clinical data from 521 gastrointestinal tumor patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery in Dalian Central Hospital were collected. The recovery of gastrointestinal function was recorded, and the factors that affected the recovery of gastrointestinal function were analyzed. All data were processed using Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) 21.0 software. t-test and F-test were used for univariate analysis, and multivariate linear regression was adopted for multivariate analysis. Results of univariate analysis displayed that age, starting time of postoperative activity, peritoneal drainage tube indwelling time, blood potassium level, sleep disorder, fasting and fluid deprivation time, duration of the first postoperative defecation/exhaustion, abdominal distention and pain reaction and social support level had significant influences on recovery of patients after operation (P<0.05). Results of multivariate analysis indicated that peritoneal drainage tube indwelling time, blood potassium level, fasting and fluid deprivation time and starting time of postoperative activity were independent factors affecting the recovery of patients after operation (P<0.05). Some methods are conducive to the recovery of gastrointestinal function in patients with gastrointestinal tumor, including the removal of peritoneal drainage tube, timely potassium supplementation, and diet recovery after laparoscopic surgery as soon as possible.

Longitudinal Study on Quality of Life and Psychosocial Conditions in Light of Responses to Illness-Related Information in Postoperative Cancer Patients

Objective:

Illness-related information can be significant for cancer patients after gastrointestinal (GI) surgery in terms of their performing adaptive tasks. This study longitudinally investigated the health outcomes of Japanese patients who read a booklet about cancer patients’ problems and adaption tasks and evaluated the association between the responses to the booklet and the patients’ health outcomes.

Methods:

A questionnaire survey about quality of life (QOL), fatigue, anxiety, cognitive plight, and resilience was administered to postoperative patients with GI cancer 1 week after their discharge from hospital and 6 months after surgery. The questionnaires were returned by email.

Results:

The mean age of the 32 patients at 1 week was 60.9 years; nearly 68.8% of them were men. As a whole, only two variables, QOL and anxiety, were significantly improved at 6 months over those at 1 week. Three statements were taken to gauge the responses to the booklet. In the two-way ANOVA that took QOL and responses to the booklet as independent variables, the post hoc test found that QOL was significantly improved in patients who agreed with the statement “I vaguely understood the content” or “I will deal with my tasks as described in the scenarios” but not in patients who agreed with the statement “The scenarios reflect my situation.” The anxiety in patients who agreed with the statement “The scenarios reflect my situation” was high at both survey points.

Conclusions:

This study suggests that associations between the responses to the informational booklet and patients’ health outcomes partially indicate the directional property of how to support their information usage.