Effects of a posttonsillectomy management program using a mobile instant messenger on parents’ knowledge and anxiety, and their children's compliance, bleeding, and pain

Abstract

Purpose Pediatric tonsillectomy is a highly common surgery for children. The inclusion of tonsillectomy in the diagnosis‐related group payment system in Korea has resulted in a shorter hospital stay for patients who undergo tonsillectomy. This, in turn, provides parents with additional caregiver roles in the home. Objectives This study aimed to investigate the effects of a postdischarge management program (PDMP) using Mobile Instant Messenger (MIM) on parents’ knowledge and state anxiety about postoperative care, and their children's compliance with care instructions at home, frequency of bleeding, and pain intensity after tonsillectomy. Design and Methods A nonequivalent control group nonsynchronized design. Settings and Participants Participants were 52 tonsillectomy children aged 3–7 years and their 52 parents (27 for the experimental group and 25 for the control group) from a hospital, in Korea. The control group received a routine written and oral predischarge education, while the experimental group received a predischarge education and a daily MIM for 7 days. For the experimental group, bidirectional communication between the nurse and parent when necessary using MIM are available during the intervention period. Results Parents in the experimental group reported a significantly higher knowledge about postdischarge management and lower state anxiety than the control group. Children in the experimental group showed a significantly greater improvement in compliance with the care instructions at home than the control group. However, bleeding frequency and pain intensity were not significantly lower in the experimental group than that in the control group. Practical Implications Nurses play a critical role in preventing and managing the complications of tonsillectomy. Providing proper parental education about pediatric posttonsillectomy care at home is critical for a successful recovery. With the explosion of smartphone technology, the MIM‐based PDMP is a useful and effective strategy in helping parents and children in posttonsillectomy care at home.

Effect of Telenursing Intervention Program on Mothers' Knowledge about Postoperative Care for One Day Surgery Children

“…Telenursing is delivering nursing care and conducting nursing practice by using technology. There was some evidence related to application of telenursing in nursing practice and reported that it could be used for consultation, education, monitoring, and the evaluation of health care outcomes (10,5) .…”

“…This new field of nurses' activities has expanded in many countries (13) .The innovation of telenursing technologies is diverse, such as mobile phones, smart phones, computers, Internet, videoconference, and telemonitoring equipment (14,15) . Kim and Yu (5) Telenursing may support general nursing, which is facing a shortage of nurses nowadays, and the demand for telenurses is worldwide. To meet the patients' needs and with the current nursing shortage, many homecare agencies have to look at innovative ways to care for the increasing numbers of patients (16) .…”

“…One day surgery for children requires good excellent nursing care that respond to the needs of children and parents. The most frequent complications include nausea and vomiting, sore throat, and discomfort at the surgical site, infection and bleeding (4) as well as postoperative airway clearance and a rapid return to normal fluid and food intake (5,3,6) .…”

Telemedicine and Telementoring in Rhinology, Otology, and Laryngology: A Scoping Review

“… 27 Another study investigated the utility of a mobile instant messenger in the postoperative management of pediatric tonsillectomy and found this to improve compliance with at-home care instructions. 66 …”

“…Regardless of subspecialty, studies have shown that these tools can enhance diagnostic accuracy, management, and follow-up efficacy, as well as facilitate more efficient communication and improve adherence to medications. 27 , 30 - 34 , 66 , 69 , 125 , 126 Tele-rehabilitation has been applied in most subspecialities. One study investigated the feasibility of providing therapy via a mobile app, 58 pointing toward the likely future applications of many tele-rehabilitation services.…”