Effect of Telenursing and Face-to-Face Training Techniques on Quality of Life in Burn Patients: A Clinical Trial

To compare the effect of telenursing and face-to-face training on the quality of life (QOL) of patients with a burn injury.This clinical trial with pretest-posttest design on 3 groups was conducted in Kermanshah, Iran, from 2017 to 2018. Convenience sampling was used.A tertiary hospital in Kermanshah, west of Iran.A total of 90 patients with burns of grade 2 and 3 after discharge from the hospital were randomly assigned to 3 groups including telenursing (30), face-to-face training (30), and control (30).Each intervention group received 1-on-1 telephone training and face-to-face training in 8 sessions (2 sessions of 15 to 20min/wk). The control group received regular care.QOL was evaluated by the Burn Specific Health Scale-Brief (BSHS-B).The mean BSHS-B scores before and after intervention for telenursing, face-to-face, and the control group were 71.43±21.92 and 133.06±11.97; 64.83±26.16 and 124.83±23.05; and 58.63±20.89 and 73.13±33.04, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference among the 3 groups with respect to the training methods after intervention (P<.001). In addition, post hoc test did not show a significant difference between the telenursing and face-to-face groups (P=.244).Educational methods in the form of telenursing and face-to-face training were effective and promoted QOL in survivors of burn injuries. Both telenursing and face-to-face training can be used to improve the QOL of survivors of burn injuries during the rehabilitation phase.