Creating Awareness and Self – Efficacy among Patients with Chemotherapy Induced Oral Mucositis

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of creating awareness and self – efficacy among patients with chemotherapy induced oral mucositis. Subjects and Method: A quasi-experimental design was utilized for the conduction of this study in Chemotherapy Outpatients` Clinics at at Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine Department affiliated to Ain Shams University. Sample : A purposive sample including 80 adult age patients from both genders with oral mucositis undergoing chemotherapy were constituted this study sample. Tools of data collection were : 1) Patients, interviewing questionnaire (pre / post tests) to assess the studied patients` knowledge as regards chemotherapy induced oral mucositis. 2). An observation checklist (pre / post tests) to evaluate studied patients' practices in relation to care activities of oral mucositis. 3) Numerical pain scale (pre / post tests) to measure pain severity among the studied patients. 4) Patient-Reported Oral Mucositis Symptoms Scale (pre / post tests). 5) General self-efficacy scale (pre / post tests) to assess a general sense of perceived patients self-efficacy. Results : More than three fifths of studied patients were not working, married and from rural area. In addition, mean percent of satisfactory knowledge and practices added to pain reduction level were higher in post tests compared to pre. Conclusion : On light of the current study results, it can be concluded that educational guidelines had a positive effect on improving awareness and self – efficacy among studied patients with chemotherapy induced oral mucositis. Moreover, patients` reported oral mucositis symptoms post chemotherapy were satisfactory in post and follow – up tests. Recommendations : Further studies should be carried out on a large number of patients with chemotherapy induced oral mucositis for evidence of results and generalization.