The Effect of Decision Support System Developed for Symptom Self-Management in Non[1]Hodgkin Lymphoma Patients on Symptom Management, Quality of Life and Unplanned Hospital Admissions

Aim: This aim of this study was to develop a decision support system (DSS) for symptom self-management (Lymphoma Symptom CARE [LympCARE]) in patients with NonHodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL) and to evaluate the effect of the application on symptom management, quality of life, and unplanned hospital admissions.

Methods: This study consisted of two stages: a methodological and randomized, activecontrolled experimental study. In the first stage, a mobile-friendly DSS (LympCARE) was developed for patients with NHL. In the second stage, patients in the intervention (LympCARE) group evaluated symptom severity and applied self-management strategies on the 3rd, 7th, and 10th days after the 3rd, 4th, and 5th cycles of chemotherapy treatment via LympCARE. Patients in the active control group used only the symptom severity on the LympCARE and the education booklet of the Turkish Hematology Association. Data were collected with Personal Information Form, Rotterdam Symptom Checklist, FACT-G Quality of Life Scale, and Unplanned Hospital Admission Follow-up Form. Data were evaluated using descriptive statistical analyses, t-tests, ANOVA of variance, and regression analysis.

Results: In the LympCARE group, 18% were male and 85.7% were ≤60 years old, and in the active control group, 18% were male and 64.3% were ≤60 years old. The level of agreement among LympCARE expert opinions was high. The difference between symptom management and quality of life post-test mean scores of the LympCARE and active control groups was statistically significant (p<0.05). The number of unplanned hospital admissions decreased in both groups. A mobile-compatible CDS system was effective in 89.9% of LympCARE group and 78% of active control group.

Conclusion: Symptom self-management-related CDS improved patients’ symptom management and quality of life, and decreased unplanned hospital admissions. It is recommended that the use of symptom-related CDSs and web-based symptom selfmanagement applications be expanded.

Keywords: nursing, decision support system, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, unplanned hospital admissions, symptom self-management, quality of life.