Affiliation:
1. Wenzhou Medical University Affiliated Zhoushan Hospital
2. The First Affiliated Hospital of Haerbin Medical University
Abstract
Abstract
Background
There has been an exponential growth in the use of telemedicine services to provide clinical care. However, the safety and effectiveness of telemedicine in cancer-related colostomy care during the early stages of discharge remains unclear. This study aimed to prove that the safety and effectiveness of telemedicine for cancer-related colostomy care are not inferior to those of outpatient care.
Methods
This was a prospective, randomized, noninferiority study. A total of 76 consecutive patients who underwent cancer-related colostomy stoma were enrolled and randomly divided into a telemedicine group or an outpatient group with an equal allocation ratio (1:1). The outpatient group was provided in-person interview mode colostomy care, whereas the telemedicine group was provided video interview mode colostomy care. Using stoma-related complications, self-care ability and quality of life reflected the safety and effectiveness of colostomy care in the early stages of discharge.
Results
The incidence of stoma-related complications within 2-weeks and 1-month after discharge showed no significant differences between the two groups (P2 − weeks = 0.772 and P1 − month = 0.760). The NCI-CTCAE score for stoma-related complications was less than level 2. Patients with complications need not be hospitalized. The ESCA scores were 101.4 ± 13.9 and 106.3 ± 16.5, respectively, in the telemedicine group, and 101.8 ± 13.5 and 103.3 ± 13.4, respectively, in the outpatient group. The C-COH-QOL-OQ scores were 6.15 ± 0.91 and 6.34 ± 0.86, respectively, in the telemedicine group, and 6.27 ± 0.71 and 6.38 ± 0.61, respectively, in the outpatient group. The ESCA and C-COH-QOL-OQ scores were not significantly different between the telemedicine and outpatient group in 2-weeks and 1-month after discharge (all P > 0.05).
Conclusion
The results of this study revealed that the safety and effectiveness of telemedicine for cancer-related colostomy in the early stages of discharge were not inferior to those of outpatient care. When using telemedicine for cancer-related colostomy care, communication between the medical staff and patients is broken through the restrictions of time and place.
Publisher
Research Square Platform LLC