Multimodal Transplant-clinic–based Skin Cancer Prevention Education for Organ Transplant Recipients: Feasibility Study

oleh: Regina Yu, BSc(Hon), Kyoko Miura, PhD, Daniel C. Chambers, FRACP, Peter M. Hopkins, FRACP, Charlotte M. Proby, FRCP, Kristin Bibee, MD, Elsemieke I. Plasmeijer, MD, Adele C. Green, MBBS, PhD

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: Wolters Kluwer 2023-07-01

Deskripsi

Background. We studied the feasibility of transplant-clinic staff routinely providing primary prevention advice to lung transplant recipients at high risk of skin cancer. Methods. Patients enrolled by a transplant-clinic study nurse completed baseline questionnaires and received sun-safety brochures. For the 12-mo intervention, transplant physicians were alerted to provide standard sun-protection advice (use of hat, long sleeves, and sunscreen outdoors) by sun-advice prompt cards attached to participants’ medical charts at each clinic visit. Patients indicated receiving advice from their physician and from study personnel via an exit-card postclinic, and at final study clinics, they also reported their sun behaviors by questionnaire. Feasibility of the intervention was measured by patients’ and clinic staff’s study engagement; effectiveness was assessed by calculating odds ratios (ORs) for improved sun protection, using generalized estimating equations. Results. Of 151 patients invited, 134 consented (89%), and 106 (79 %) (63% male, median age 56 y, 93% of European descent) completed the study. Odds of receiving sun advice from transplant physicians and study nurses rose after the intervention compared with baseline (ORs, 1.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.96-2.96 and 3.56; 95% CI, 1.38-9.14, respectively). After 12 mo of regular transplant-clinic advice, odds of sunburn decreased (OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.13-2.60), and odds of applying sunscreen (OR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.20-3.09) almost doubled. Conclusions. Encouragement of primary prevention of skin cancer among organ transplant recipients by physicians and nurses during routine transplant-clinic visits is feasible and appears to be effective.