OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of peer education on postoperative rehabilitation of patients with laryngeal cancer.

METHODSFrom January 2010 to December 2012, 240 cases of primary laryngeal cancer were treated with partial or total laryngectomy as well as tracheotomy in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery in Shandong Provincial Hospital. The patients were randomly divided into experimental group or control group by Stochastic tables law, 120 patients in control group accepted only conventional nursing, 120 patients in experimental group accepted both conventional nursing and peer education. The difference in the treatment nursing cooperation attitude, postoperative recovery, postoperative symptoms and the incidence of complications between two groups were evaluated by postoperative quality of life (UW-QOL), Eysenck personality questionnaire (EPQ) and coping style questionnaire (CSQ) score. The independent sample T-test and χ² test were used for statistical analysis.

RESULTSThe patients of experimental group showed more positive attitude to treatment and care compared to the patients of control group (χ² = 10.7, P < 0.01). Experimental group had less time in postoperative wound healing time, gastric tube indwelling time and postoperative hospital stay than control group, with statistically significant differences (t = 6.89, t = 6.36, t = 6.42, respectively, P < 0.01); Incidence of postoperative discomfort symptoms in experimental group was less than that in control group (P < 0.05). Total score for quality of life (UW-QOL) in experimental group was higher than that in control group (t = 2.40, P < 0.05). The P and N scores of EPQ in experimental group were lower than those in control group (t = 2.28, t = 2.60, P < 0.05), while the E score of EPQ in experimental group was significantly higher than that in control group (t = 4.50, P < 0.01), with no significant difference in the L score of EPQ between two groups (P > 0.05). scores of factor to solve problem and help factor of CSQ in experimental group were higher than those in control group (t = 7.05, t = 7.73, P < 0.01), and the era factor score of experimental group was lower than that of control group (t = 2.05, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSPeer education can help the patients with laryngectomy to maintain good psychological and mental status, to cooperate actively with treatment, to reduce symptoms and complications, and to shorten the length of hospital stay, improving their postoperative rehabilitation and quality of life.