The effect of Continuous Care Model on self-care in patients with colon cancer

Colon cancer and its treatments have several signs and symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, lethargy, anorexia, nausea and vomiting, anemia, and eating disorders that self-care is essential to control in these patients. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the continuous care model on self-care in patients with colon cancer.

The present study was an experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design. The statistical population of 60 patients with colon cancer at Imam Ali (AS) and Shahid Rajaei hospitals in Karaj in the first half of 2021, were selected based on inclusion criteria and randomly divided into intervention and control groups using even and odd codes. For the intervention group, the continuous care model was implemented in 4 stages for the intervention group for 2 months (8 weeks). A demographic information questionnaire and a researcher-made self-care questionnaire for patients with colon cancer were used to collect information. Data were analyzed with SPSS19 statistical software using descriptive and inferential tests. The significance level was considered 0.05.

There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding demographic variables. The mean scores of patients' self-care index before the intervention in the intervention group was 33.44 ± 2.57 and in the control, group was 33.48 ± 3.76, which was not statistically significant (P= 0.77) after the intervention in the group The intervention reached 41.48 ± 3.01 and in the control group reached 34.34 ± 4.82, which was a significant difference in the intervention group and self-care was improved (P <0.001).

The results showed that the continuous care model has an effect on self-care in patients with colon cancer and promotes it, so it is recommended that nurses use nursing models such as the continuous care model in caring for these patients.