Effect of Hot Herbal Foot Bath Formula on Quality of Life in Patients with End-stage Liver Cancer at the Thai Traditional and Integrated Medicine Hospital

Abstract

Introduction and objective: End-stage liver cancer patients mostly suffer physical and mental changes, resulting in the patients’ and relatives’ poorer quality of life as well as illness symptoms such as pain, agitation, depression, breathing difficulty, and other discomforts. If the symptoms are not alleviated, they may cause an impact on the patient's therapy and quality of life. This research aimed to explore the effect of hot herbal foot bath formula on the quality of life in patients with end-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the patient satisfaction with the formula, following the Thai traditional medicine treatment protocol for such patients in the hospital’s inpatient department (IPD) from March 2020 to March 2021.

Methods: This quasi-experimental research involved 26 end-stage HCC inpatients hospitalized at the Thai Traditional Medicine and Integrated Medicine Hospital in Bangkok. An Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) form and a satisfaction questionnaire were used as research tools. Descriptive statistics and paired samples test were used for data analyses.

Results: Based on the pre- and post-treatment ESAS score comparison, the suffering symptoms after treatment had improved. The most improved symptom was the pain, followed by physical and mental well-being and depression. The symptoms affecting the quality of life significantly deceased (P < 0.05). Regarding patient satisfaction, the overall level was high with a mean score of 4.00. As for each aspect, the mean satisfaction level with the care based on the clinical practice guidelines was highest at 4.38, followed by the high level for convenience and application at 4.05.

Discussion: The hot herbal foot bath formula is effective and can be practically applied to improve the quality of life in patients with end-stage HCC. The findings are consistent with Jaipetch's study, which discusses the health benefits of soaking feet in warm water at a temperature of approximately 36–38°C for 10–15 minutes. This practice can induce relaxation, improve sleep quality, alleviate toe-tip burning sensation, and enhance blood circulation.

Conclusion and recommendation: This is a preliminary follow-up study on the quality of life in patient care with a hot herbal foot bath formula. It had limitations as the comparative study was undertaken in only one group of end-stage liver cancer patients. Thus, further studies should be conducted with more stringent research methodology.