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. 2011 Jan 1;9(1):e1-e11.
doi: 10.1016/j.suponc.2010.12.006.

Feasibility and Acceptance of a Telehealth Intervention to Promote Symptom Management during Treatment for Head and Neck Cancer

Barbara A Head  1 , Cynthia Keeney, Jamie L Studts, Mamdouh Khayat, Jeffrey Bumpous, Mark Pfeifer
Affiliations

Feasibility and Acceptance of a Telehealth Intervention to Promote Symptom Management during Treatment for Head and Neck Cancer

Barbara A Head et al. J Support Oncol. .

Abstract

Patients undergoing treatment for head and neck cancers have a myriad of distressing symptoms and treatment side effects which significantly alter communication and lower quality of life. Telehealth technology has demonstrated promise in improving patient-provider communication by delivering supportive educational content and guidance to patients in their homes. A telehealth intervention using a simple telemessaging device was developed to provide daily education, guidance, and encouragement for patients undergoing initial treatment of head and neck cancer. The goal of this article is to report the feasibility and acceptance of the intervention using both quantitative and qualitative measures. No eligible patients declined participation based on technology issues. Participants completed the intervention over 86% of the expected days of use. Direct nursing contact was seldom needed during the study period. Satisfaction with the technology and the intervention was very high. In this study a telehealth intervention was shown to be feasible, well accepted, and regularly used by patients experiencing extreme symptom burden and declining quality of life as a result of aggressive treatment for head and neck cancer.

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Figures

Figure I
Figure I. The Health Buddy® Appliance
The 6×9 inch, easily visable appliance attaches to the user's land phone line and provides a user-friendly interface between patient and healthcare provider.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Sample Algorithm
Figure 3
Figure 3. Accrual Flow Chart
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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