Side effects of treatment in patients with hepatitis C - implications for nurse specialist practice

Abstract

Objective: To identify patients’ perceptions of the side effects of Hepatitis C treatment.

Design: The research used a self‑reporting postal survey design to identify reported side effects, related to hepatitis C treatment, suffered by patients attending a specialist nurse clinic.

Setting: The setting for this study was an outpatient hepatology clinic in a large general hospital in Ireland.

Subjects: The questionnaire was distributed to a convenience sample of 201 patients receiving hepatitis C treatment at the hospital.

Main outcome measure(s): To determine what side effects are most common during hepatitis C treatment; to identify whether or not patients are satisfied with the nurse specialist/nurse led service and to identify the unmet support needs of patients on treatment.

Results: Several side effects were reported, including fatigue, sleep disturbances and weight loss. Another high scoring side effect was sexual dysfunction. Patients reported a high satisfaction with nurse specialist services.

Conclusions: Manifestations of treatment have implications for care management of this group. Routine assessment of quality of life or symptom related needs is suggested in addition to personalised support from nurse specialists. Raising patients’ awareness of the potential side effects is very important in the approach to care, particularly in relation to compliance. In addition, providing information and advice to patients about how to manage their symptoms is essential.