The aim of this study was to identify factors influencing patient perception of success and benefit with self-management of breast cancer-related lymphoedema (BCRL) and explore how patients decide whether their swollen limb has improved or deteriorated.
This qualitative study used a Grounded Theory approach. Twenty-one women in the BCRL self-management phase participated in one in-depth interview exploring their experience and perspective on self-managing their BCRL.
Seven enablers and blocks to self-management were identified: routine, recognising benefit of self-management and consequences of non-treatment, owning treatment, knowledge and understanding, problem-solving, time required for treatment and aesthetics of hosiery. Women determined treatment outcome by monitoring size, appearance, texture and internal sensations within the affected arm.
Women who participated in this study showed varying degrees of acceptance and adjustment to life with lymphoedema. This appears to directly impact their ability to self-manage lymphoedema. Lymphoedema practitioners and oncology nurses have a valuable role providing knowledge and support to patients transitioning to independent self-care. A better understanding of factors facilitating patients to become experts in their condition may improve longer term outcomes and reduce cost pressures on lymphoedema services.
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 1. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 07 December 2015.
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#19,945,185
of 25,374,917 outputs
Outputs from European Journal of Oncology Nursing
#624
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#189,783
of 276,789 outputs
Outputs of similar age from European Journal of Oncology Nursing
#9
of 13 outputs
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