Today, as cancer morbidity and consequently the pressure on healthcare systems have increased, the effectiveness of nursing interventions is emphasised in the care of patients with cancer. Research on empowering education for cancer patients is, however, limited.

The goal of this study was to produce new knowledge of the effect of empowering patient education in patients with colorectal cancer. In the first phase, an overview of systematic reviews (n=17) was conducted on nursing interventions and their effectiveness in patients with cancer. Interviews were conducted with patients with colorectal cancer (n=15) on their expectations for nursing during chemotherapy. Knowledge produced in the first phase was also used in the planning of the method and content of the intervention in this study. In the second phase, an empowering education intervention was developed, and its effect was tested in a randomised controlled trial for patient-reported outcomes and register data in patients with colorectal cancer (43 + 40).

According to the overview of systematic reviews, the nursing interventions were educational, psychosocial, psychological, activity-based as well as interventions supporting coping. Based on the results, an educational intervention, which also included elements supporting patients’ coping was selected for this study. According to the patient interviews, patients' expectations consisted of (1) empowering knowledge, (2) human encounters, and (3) good care. In this study, these themes were used in offering empowering knowledge of nutrition impact side-effects and support for self-care using teach-back method. The difference in change was nearly significantly higher in the activation level and statistically significant in the knowledge level associated with malnutrition and in the number of additional contacts to the outpatient clinic in favour of the intervention group

As a conclusion, empowering patient education can improve the patient activation level and knowledge in patients with colorectal cancer. It can also reduce contacts to the outpatient clinic due to nutrition impact side effects, thus reduce health care costs.