Esperanza Magana, DNP

Abstract:

Background: Lung cancer diagnosis causes significant psychological distress. Patient educationand digital health interventions have mitigated anxiety and stress in various clinical settings; the impact of app-based mindfulness intervention on patients awaiting lung biopsies remains understudied. Design of Study: This single-cohort, quasi-experiment study evaluated the efficacy of a brief app-based mindfulness intervention in mitigating stress and anxiety among patients aged 50-80 with an abnormal low-dose computed tomography scan and scheduled for a lung biopsy. Methods: Participants (N=14) were enrolled from pulmonary clinics. Participants received a 40-minute comprehensive mindfulness education session including instructions for using an app-based mindfulness practice daily during the pre-biopsy waiting period. Psychological outcomes were measured using validated instruments: Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Perceived Stress Scale-10, at baseline and two weeks post-intervention. Exploratory qualitative data was also collected at baseline with three questions; one question explored a stressful life experience in the past five years, the other two and follow up questionnaires (days 3-7 and 2-weeks post-intervention), explored participants’ subjective experience with the mindfulness app. Findings: Inferential analysis confirmed statistically significant reductions, with p< 0.05 for both outcomes, indicating meaningful directionality and magnitude. Descriptive statistics showed a downward trend in stress and anxiety levels. Qualitative analysis revealed that participants felt mentally prepared for the lung biopsy procedure, reflecting the intervention was associated with reduced stress and anxiety. Conclusion: In a cohort of participants preparing for a lung biopsy, enrollment in an app-based mindfulness intervention was both feasible and efficacious. The efficacy of the intervention in mitigating stress and anxiety among participants awaiting a lung biopsy was explored, with findings indicating that the intervention was associated with reduced stress and anxiety.

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