Effect of Home Care Service on the Quality of Life in Patients with Gynecological Cancer

Abstract

The purpose of the research was to determine the effect of home care service on the quality of life in patientswith gynecological cancer. This randomized case control study was carried out in a womans hospital betweenSeptember 2011 and February 2012. Women undergoing gynecological cancer treatment were separated intointervention and control groups, of 35 patients each. The intervention group was provided with nursing careservice through hospital and home visits (1st, 12th weeks) within the framework of a specifically developed nursingcare plan. The control group was monitored without any intervention through the hospital routine protocols(1st, 12th weeks). Data were collected using An Interview Form, Home Visit Monitoring Form and Quality of LifeScale/Cancer Survivors. Effects of home care service on the quality of life in gynecological cancer patients wereinvestigated using chi-square tests, McNemar’s test, independent t-test and ANOVA. This study found that theintervention group receiving home care service had a moderately high quality of life (average mean: 6.01±0.64),while the control group had comparatively lower quality (average mean: 4.35±0.79) within the 12 week postdischargeperiod (p<0.05). This study found home care services to be efficient in improving the quality of life inpatients with gynecological cancer.