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. 2019 Feb:45:30-38.
doi: 10.1016/j.apnr.2018.11.002. Epub 2018 Nov 7.

Self-management in liver transplantation

Dami Ko  1 , Lisa C Bratzke  2 , Rebecca J Muehrer  3 , Roger L Brown  4
Affiliations

Self-management in liver transplantation

Dami Ko et al. Appl Nurs Res. 2019 Feb.

Abstract

Background: Self-management is crucial for liver transplant (LT) recipients to maintain transplants and optimize health outcomes. However, previous literature has been primarily limited to examining medication adherence; there is a knowledge gap regarding self-management in the LT population.

Aim: The aims of this study were to 1) comprehensively describe self-management behaviors and activities in LT recipients, 2) explore levels of overall self-management, and 3) explore the relationships of self-efficacy, cognition, and health information seeking behavior with self-management.

Methods: Adult LT recipients (n = 113) who had a functioning transplant for at least 6 months participated in this cross-sectional, descriptive study. Participants were asked to identify self-management behaviors and rate their performance of those behaviors, including symptom management and medication adherence. They also completed a cognitive assessment and questionnaires measuring self-efficacy and health information seeking behavior. Descriptive statistics, latent profile analysis, and probit model for path analysis were used for the data analysis.

Results: LT recipients acknowledged engaging in various self-management behaviors including symptom management, physical activity, maintenance of positive attitudes, and communication with healthcare providers. Three levels of self-management (i.e., low, medium, and high) were found; a high level of self-management was related to self-efficacy and health information seeking behavior.

Conclusions: The findings indicate that self-management may be improved with interventions aimed at increasing self-efficacy and health information seeking behavior. Findings from this study will inform future interventions, to improve self-management and subsequent health outcomes in this population. Future longitudinal studies are necessary to confirm the causality of the identified relationships.

Keywords: Cognition; Health communication; Liver transplantation; Self-efficacy; Self-management.

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