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Implementation of a mobile inpatient quality of life (QoL) assessment for oncology nursing

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Abstract

Purpose

Cancer patients suffer from a variety of symptoms, but little is known about changes during hospitalization and symptom burden at discharge. We implemented an electronic quality of life (QoL) assessment used by the nursing team in routine inpatient care. Feasibility, acceptance, and the course of QoL were investigated.

Methods

A self-administered electronic questionnaire based on the EQ-5D and the EORTC QLQ-C30 was applied in clinical routine. Cancer patients were approached by the nursing staff to complete the QoL assessment twice, at admission and at the day of discharge. Both the feedback of the nursing staff as well as characteristics of participants were used to evaluate the electronic assessment.

Results

Out of 210 patients from an oncologic ward, 85 patients (40 %) were invited to participate, 95 % of whom (n = 81) agreed to participate. Participation rate depended on the day of admission, the presence of the coordinating nurse, the overall morbidity assessed by patient clinical complexity level, and the patient age. Forty-six patients (56 %) asked for assistance in completing the questionnaire. Patients older than 53 years and male patients were more likely to need assistance. Twenty-two percent of the nursing staff (n = 5) use the information assessed for individual patient care. Fifty-two percent (n = 12) rated the additional workload as very little or little and 68 % (n = 15) agreed that handling for the patient was easy. Global QoL improved during the stay. Most severe symptoms at admission included fatigue, pain, appetite loss, and insomnia.

Conclusions

The results of this study indicate that it is feasible to implement and use an electronic QoL assessment by the nursing staff in routine inpatient cancer care. Obstacles and worries of staff members have to be considered when further developing this program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, Technical University Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany

    Markus K. Schuler, Mirko Radloff, Roman Schmädig, Leopold Hentschel & Gerhard Ehninger

  2. Center for Evidence Based Healthcare (ZEGV), Technical University Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany

    Freya Trautmann, Thomas Petzold & Jochen Schmitt

  3. National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany

    Freya Trautmann

  4. Department of Quality and Medical Risk Management, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, Technical University Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany

    Maria Eberlein-Gonska & Thomas Petzold

  5. Department of Medical Information Technology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, Technical University Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany

    Heike Vetter & Sebastian Oberlack

Authors
  1. Markus K. Schuler
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  2. Freya Trautmann
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  6. Maria Eberlein-Gonska
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  10. Gerhard Ehninger
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  11. Jochen Schmitt
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Leopold Hentschel.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Markus K. Schuler and Freya Trautmann contributed equally to this work.

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Schuler, M.K., Trautmann, F., Radloff, M. et al. Implementation of a mobile inpatient quality of life (QoL) assessment for oncology nursing. Support Care Cancer 24, 3391–3399 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-016-3163-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-016-3163-9

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