The Effect of Training Programs Based on the Patient's Needs on Knowledge and Attitude of Patients about Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is one of the main treatments for cancer that is associated with many side effects. These side effects may force the patients to stop the procedure of treatment due to lack of knowledge and negative attitude about the effects of chemotherapy.
This study aimed to examine the effect of training based on training needs of patients on their knowledge and attitude about chemotherapy side effects in Aja (army) Hospital in Tehran.
Material and This clinical trial study was conducted on 50 cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. The patients were selected using the convenience sampling and randomly allocated into the experimental and control groups (n=25, each group). Before intervention, researcher-made questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge and attitude of participants in both experimental and control groups. Then the training intervention was implemented based on the training needs of the patients in different domains affected by the chemotherapy for the intervention group and it was conducted during two cycles of chemotherapy face-to-face and individually. At the end of the second period, the questionnaires were completed again by both groups. Data were analyzed using inferential and descriptive statistical tests by the SPSS software version 22.
The mean scores of knowledge and attitude of patients about the chemotherapy side effects before the intervention were 94.68±9.41, and 22.32±4.28 for the experimental group and 94.08±8.68, and 20.60±3.01 for the control group respectively. After receiving the intervention, the mean scores of knowledge and attitude were 119.68±3.71, and 33.28±2.88 for the experimental group and 98.88±7.44, and 21.08±3.44 for the control group respectively. The independent statistical t-test showed no significant difference between the two groups in attitude and knowledge scores about the chemotherapy side effects in the pretest stage (P>0.05). However, there was a significant difference between the two group, experimental group and control group, in attitude and knowledge scores about chemotherapy side effects in the post-test stage (PDiscussion and Implementing training programs based on training needs of patients can be effective on their knowledge and attitude about the chemotherapy side effects.