Comparison of Mobile Phone and Face-to-Face Methods in Self- Care Training on Caring Behavior in Thalassemia Major Patients

Today, self-care education in thalassemia major patients can improve their care behaviors.The aim of this study was to compare the effect of self-care training through mobile and face-to-face methods on the care behaviors of patients with thalassemia major. 

This is a quasi-experimental study with the participation of 58 patients with thalassemia major referred to the Cooley's center of Ostad Motahari Hospital in Jahrom in 2020. Patients were randomly (by statistical software SAS) divided into three groups (two groups of 19 people and one group of 20 people) including education via mobile phone, face-to-face education and control group. The training was performed within two months. The data collection tool was a researcher-made self-care questionnaire, which was completed by patients before training, immediately and one month later. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and analytical in SPSS version 21. The level of significance in statistical analysis (p<0.05) was considered.

Before the intervention, there was no significant difference in the mean scores of patients' caring behavior between the intervention. and a control groups (p=0.638), however, after the intervention and one month later, a significant increase in the mean scores of care behaviors was observed in the face-to-face and mobile phone groups (p<0.05), however, there was no significant difference in the mean scores after the intervention and one month later between the face-to-face training group and the mobile phone group (p=0.613).

The results of this study indicated the positive and equal effect of two types of face-to-face and mobile phone training on the caring behaviors of patients with thalassemia major. Therefore, it is suggested to use any of the mentioned educational methods or a combination of the two mentioned methods in teaching thalassemia patients.