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Summary
Support self-management of symptoms in cancer therapies:The Symptom-Navi-Program Abstract. Background: Cancer patients experience a variety of symptoms associated with their disease and treatment. Many patients express uncertainty how to self-manage these symptoms. We developed the Symptom-Navi-Program (SNP) to support cancer patients' symptom self-management. The SNP comprises concise information leaflets, Symptom-Navi-Flyers (SNF), with content tailored to the needs of patients and nurse-led semi-structured consultations. AIM: The aim of the study was to to explore if patients experienced with the SNP with a focus on the perceived usefulness. METHOD: In a qualitative study, we conducted ten semi-structured interviews with cancer patients undergoing treatment. The interviews conduct and data analysis was based on thematic analysis as defined by 1-2Braun and Clarke (2006). RESULTS: Overall, patients described the SNP as a helpful facilitator for their self-management of symptoms. They highlighted its usefulness in an emotionally challenging situation. Nurse-led education and SNF tailored to the individual situation were experienced as self-management empowering elements. Consequently, patients experienced to know and have more choices in their symptom management strategies. Patients also described to use SNF to inform their relatives. CONCLUSIONS: Patients experience the SNP as a promising tool to facilitate their symptom self-management. Its implementation in clinical practice will now be further evaluated.
