A symptom-management program for patients undergoing cancer treatment: the Pro-Self Program.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the development, implementation, and refinement of the Pro-Self Program, a self-care intervention used in randomized clinical trials. The program is designed to provide adult patients undergoing cancer treatment with the information, skill, and support needed to engage effectively and consistently in prescribed self-care symptom management. The aim of the program is to enhance patients' self-care abilities to prevent symptoms or to reduce symptom severity and duration associated with disease and treatment. The program is based on work involving self-care during treatment for cancer.


METHODS
Patients were provided the program at the initiation of chemotherapy or radiation therapy and followed to the completion of treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
The program made an important contribution in teaching these patients self-care during the cancer treatment experience.
Larson
P J
PJ
College of Nursing Arts and Science, Hyogo, Akashi, City Japan.
Dodd
M J
MJ
Aksamit
I
I
D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing / Q000628:therapy*; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods