The development of nursing guidelines for patients with hepatitis C virus at Liver Clinic, Kamalasai Hospital, Kalasin Province.

Abstract

This action research aimed to develop and evaluate nursing guidelines for patients with Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) at the Liver Clinic, Kamalasai Hospital, Kalasin Province, Thailand. The study was conducted in three phases: situation analysis, guideline development, and outcome evaluation. The participants included 10 multidisciplinary healthcare team members and 42 newly diagnosed HCV patients. Research instruments consisted of the nursing guidelines for HCV patients, knowledge and self-care behavior questionnaires, satisfaction surveys, and structured interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired t-tests, while qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis.

The results revealed that.

1. Situation analysis identified key problems in HCV patient care, including the lack of a clear referral and follow-up system, multiple hospital visits before medication initiation, and insufficient self-care promotion, leading to high rates of missed appointments, medication non-adherence, and delayed treatment.

2.The nursing guideline was developed, consisting of five components (1) a comprehensive initial service system, (2) an 8-week self-care promotion program, (3) a discharge planning guideline (DMETHOD KH²), (4) a seamless referral system, and (5) a follow-up system for post-treatment monitoring.

1. Outcome evaluation showed that patients’ knowledge and self-care behavior scores significantly improved (p < 0.001). Appointment default rates decreased to 0%, medication non-adherence reduced to 2.38%, waiting times were shortened, service efficiency improved, and the treatment success rate reached 100%. Both healthcare providers and patients reported the highest levels of satisfaction with the developed guideline.

In conclusion, the nursing guidelines developed for HCV patients at the Liver Clinic effectively enhanced service accessibility, promoted self-care, reduced treatment barriers, and improved the quality of life for HCV patients.