The Effect of Telephone Consultation on the Quality of Life of Patients Receiving Interferon Therapy: A Quasi-experimental Study

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of telephone consultation and attendance education on the quality of life of patients with hepatitis B or C receiving interferon therapy. Subjects and Methods: Through a quasi-experimental study, 80 hepatitis patients were randomly assigned to one of the two educational methods. Patients completed the Quality of Life Questionnaire once upon entering the study and also 4 and 12 weeks after the treatment. Then, the results were compared. One group received education during monthly visits at the center, and another group got counseling over the telephone for 3 months. The data were analyzed using SPSS software (IBM, Armonk, NY). Results: The results showed that the overall quality of life in both groups 4 weeks and 12 weeks after the intervention had significant differences from the pre-intervention period; however, these differences were more significant in the telephone counseling group. Conclusions: By virtue of the fact that no significant difference was found between the results of traditional education and telephone consultation and considering the high volume of patients in centers, remote distance between patients and centers, and also limited staff time, telephone advice can take the place of traditional education methods.