Effects of a telephone-based psychosocial intervention for patients awaiting lung transplantation.
OBJECTIVE
To test the efficacy of a tailored telephone-based intervention consisting of supportive counseling and cognitive behavioral techniques for individuals awaiting lung transplantation on measures of quality of life and general well-being.


METHODS
Patients were randomly assigned to either a telephone-based special intervention (SI; n = 36) for 8 weeks (average session length, 16.3 min) or a usual care (UC) control condition (n = 35) in which subjects received usual medical care but no special treatment or phone calls. At baseline, and immediately following the 8-week intervention, patients completed a psychometric test battery.


METHODS
Duke University Medical Center, Pulmonary Transplantation Program.


METHODS
Seventy-one patients with end-stage pulmonary disease listed for lung transplantation.


METHODS
Measures of health-related quality of life (both general and disease-specific), general psychological well-being, and social support.


RESULTS
Multivariate analysis of covariance, adjusting for pretreatment baseline scores, age, gender, and time waiting on the transplant list, revealed that patients in the SI condition compared to the UC reported greater general well-being (p < 0.05), better general quality of life (p < 0.01), better disease-specific quality of life (p < 0.05), and higher levels of social support (p < 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
A brief, relatively inexpensive, telephone-based psychosocial intervention is an effective method for reducing distress and increasing health-related quality of life in patients awaiting lung transplantation.
Napolitano
Melissa A
MA
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
Babyak
Michael A
MA
Palmer
Scott
S
Tapson
Victor
V
Davis
R Duane
RD
Blumenthal
James A
JA
D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016040:Lung Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011336:Probability; D011584:Psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012016:Reference Values; D012657:Self-Help Groups / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013685:Telecommunications / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014850:Waiting Lists