ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The study was to examine the effects of the individual education about chemotherapy for cancer patients as well as their family who are receiving the first chemotherapy on self-care knowledge, self-care performance, family support, and anxiety level. METHODS: A non-equivalent control group was used in this interventional study. A total of 50 patients with cancer aged above 19 in the K university hospital, Seoul, Korea, participated in the study (Experimental group: n=25, Control group: n=25). The education about chemotherapy was offered one week after hospital discharge, which was followed by telephone counseling Data were analyzed by the SPSS/WIN 20.0 program using percentage, frequency, mean, standard deviation, x2 test, and independent t-test. RESULTS: The experimental group showed a significantly better self-care knowledge (t=4.094, p < .001), self-care performance (t=3.532, p=001), family support (t=2.170, p=.035), and anxiety control (t=4.780, p < .001) than the control group. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that the individual education should be considered for cancer patients and their family in the clinical fields.