Date of Award
2022
Document Type
Capstone
Degree Name
Doctor of Occupational Therapy
Department
Occupational Therapy
First Advisor
Katherine Jones, MA, OTR/L, CLT-LANA
Second Advisor
Bernard Muriithi, PhD, OTR/L
Abstract
Background and Purpose. The primary purpose of this doctoral capstone research project was to evaluate the effect of a teletherapy follow-up education program on the participants’ quality of life in lymphedema management. A secondary objective was to determine whether an increase occurred in compliance and independence in the following recommended lymphedema management protocols within the home setting. Methods. A 14-week prospective study design was conducted at Banner Gateway Medical Center (BGMC). Eight female subjects (mean age of 61.88 years) were recruited and randomized into two treatment groups. The control group resumed care as usual. The intervention group participated in a weekly, hour-long teletherapy session covering lymphedema-related topics. Results. The statistical analysis of the Wilcoxon test demonstrated no significant difference between the intervention group and control group in all outcomes. The data showed minimally clinical improvements in each collected outcome measure when comparing pre-data to post-data. The study concluded a lack of statistical significance found in the data between the two groups, however, participants reported a positive review and experience of the intervention. Conclusion. This study did not find any statistical significance between treatment groups but did not lead to negative outcomes. Occupational therapists possess the skill and knowledge to address the gap in care seen in post-treatment needs of cancer patients battling post- complications such as lymphedema. Researchers should explore more options in teletherapy as a feasible supplementary tool to increase compliance in long-term self-care among breast cancer patients to promote better quality of life.
Recommended Citation
Tanyag, Victoria, "The Effects of a Teletherapy Follow-Up Education Program on the Quality of Life and Self-Care Management of Lymphedema Among Breast Cancer Patients: A Doctoral Capstone Experience" (2022). OT Student Capstones. 10.
https://scholarworks.atsu.edu/ot-capstones/10