Evaluating the Effect of Telenursing and Multimedia Self-Care Educational Program on the Level of Existential Anxiety in Patients with COVID-19: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Asma  Khoddami; Elham  Imani; Reza  Jamhiry; Saeed  Hoseini Teshnizi

doi:10.18502/jabs.v13i2.13011

Asma Khoddami Student Research Committee, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
Elham Imani Mother and Child Welfare Research Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
Reza Jamhiry Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
Saeed Hoseini Teshnizi Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jabs.v13i2.13011

Keywords: Self-care, Multimedia, Telenursing, Anxiety, COVID-19

Abstract

Background & Objective: For patients, COVID-19 disease is a reminder of non-existence and death. For this reason, these patients experience existential anxiety. One of the effective factors in the control and treatment of this disease is to educate patients on self-care to reduce the burden of these psychological problems on them. The present study was designed and conducted with the aim of evaluating the effect of self-care educational program using telemedicine and multimedia methods on the level of existential anxiety in COVID-19 patients.
Materials & Methods: This study was a quasi-experimental research conducted on 88 COVID-19 patients referred to the comprehensive health service centers of Bandar Abbas, Iran from 2020 to 2021. Th0ey were selected using a convenience sampling method. The samples were randomly assigned to the multimedia (44 patients) and telenursing (44 patients) groups. Patients in both groups received education on self-care during COVID-19 disease for 21 days. The Existence Anxiety Scale was completed before and immediately after the intervention. Data were analyzed with SPSS software version 26. Descriptive statistics, normality test, independent t-test, homogeneity of variance and covariance, univariate and multivariate analysis of covariance were used.
Results: The mean score of existential anxiety at the beginning of the study was 90.50± 12.57 and 85.25 ±16.12, respectively, in the telenursing and multimedia groups, and after the intervention, it was 46.88 ± 6.38 and 65.40 ± 9.59, respectively, in the telenursing and multimedia groups. After the intervention, the existential anxiety score was significantly reduced in the telenursing group compared to the multimedia group (p <0.001).
Conclusions: Based on the findings of this study, self-care education programs and knowledge about necessary care during COVID-19 illness should be considered for patients in comprehensive health centers, and telenursing should be used for more effective self-care education.