LEARNING NEEDS REGARDING CHEMOTHERAPY AMONG PATIENTS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER (original) (raw)

Survey on learning needs and preferred sources of information to meet these needs in Italian oncology patients receiving chemotherapy

European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 2008

Cancer patient education can be especially important in topics like side effects of chemotherapy. Information needs of oncology patients are scarcely investigated in Italy. This study aimed to identify the learning needs, the amount of information desired and the preferred methods of information delivery of Italian cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. A total of 111 cancer patients completed a questionnaire developed for this study, which was assessed for validity and reliability. Respondents ranked the following priority information: illness, recovery, treatments, chemotherapy side effects and trajectory of illness. The great majority wanted to receive as much information as possible about all these topics. Most patients showed their wish to be informed along with their relatives, but only a few wanted relatives to be informed before them. The preferred method for receiving information about side effects of chemotherapy was oral conversation, followed by written information. Patients preferred receiving information from the oncologist, followed by the oncology nurse and the general practitioner. Most respondents preferred to be informed before receiving the first cycle of chemotherapy. Results are consistent with the existing literature with regard to information priorities, quantity of information desired and preferred methods of information. In contrast with a non-disclosure dominant culture, Italian cancer patients manifest their wish to be informed a great deal and personally about their condition. In order to meet cancer patients' information needs, health professionals' education and practice should be improved.

Informational needs of breast cancer patients on chemotherapy: differences between patients' and nurses' perceptions

Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP, 2011

Cancer and chemotherapy are sources of anxiety and worry for cancer patients. Information provision is therefore very important to empower them to overcome and adjust to the stressful experience. Thus, nurses should be aware of the informational needs of the patients throughout the course of their care. The purpose of the study was to identify the important information required by breast cancer patients during the first and fourth cycles of chemotherapy from both the patients' and nurses' perceptions. This is a longitudinal study used a questionnaire adapted from the Toronto Informational Needs Questionnaires-Breast Cancer (TINQ-BC). Some modifications were made to meet the specific objectives of the study. The study was conducted in the Chemotherapy Day Care at the University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), Malaysia. A total of 169 breast cancer patients who met the inclusion criteria, and 39 nurses who were involved in their care were recruited into the study. The overall...

Information needs and sources of information among cancer patients: a systematic review of research (1980–2003

Patient Education and Counseling, 2005

Understanding what cancer patients need to know and from whom they receive information during the course of care is essential to ensuring quality care. We reviewed 112 articles published from 1980 to 2003 and developed a typology summarizing cancer patients' information needs and the sources from which they receive information. The majority of articles focused on information needs and sources during the diagnosis and treatment phase. Thus, the most frequent information need was treatment-related (38.1%). The most frequent information source was health professionals (27.3%). We examined patients' information needs and sources along the continuum of care and found that during diagnosis and treatment, information needs about the stage of disease, treatment options, and side-effects of treatment were prominent; during post-treatment, patients continued to need information about treatment, and information about recovery was also important. Future research should examine cancer patients' information needs and sources throughout their cancer journey. ß

How do the information needs of cancer patients differ at different stages of the cancer journey? A cross-sectional survey

JRSM Short Reports, 2010

Objectives Providing information to cancer patients can have significant benefits to their psychological wellbeing. The aim of this study was to investigate whether and how information needs may differ for patients at different stages of the cancer journey. Design Cross-sectional, self-completed survey using convenience sampling. Setting Oncology outpatients in Wolverhampton, West Midlands. Participants Cancer patients aged 18 years and over. Main outcome measures The survey used Likert scales to determine whether patients wished to know more about 35 items of information categorized under seven domains: cancer (diagnosis); prognosis; treatment; rehabilitation; psychological/spiritual; social/family; and body image/sexuality. Each domain was scored, with higher scores indicating a greater wish for information. Results There were 187 participants (50% response rate). Patients tended to want more information, particularly related to prognosis. Post-treatment patients continued to have...

Patients with Cancer and their Relatives Beliefs, Information Needs and Information-Seeking Behavior about Cancer and Treatment

Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, 2012

Purpose: To identify cancer patient and relatives beliefs, information needs, information-seeking behavior and information sources about cancer and treatment. Methods: This research was conducted at two hospitals of a university. Data was collected via questionnaires and the Turkish version of the Miller Behavioral Style Scale (MBSS) to assess information-seeking behavior. The sample included 82 patients and 54 relatives. Results: Patients were receiving treatment mostly for breast, gynecologic, lung cancer and leukemia/ lymphoma. All of them indicated that they want to be informed by a doctor about their diagnosis and treatment first. Other information sources were internet, media and nurses. The majority of the patients and half of their relatives agreed that "cancer is curable and preventable disease". Only 2.5% of patients agreed with the statement "I don't want to get information about disease which disturbs me". According the data obtained from MBSS; the mean patients MBSS score (6.41±3.2) was higher than their relatives (5.46±3.1). Respondents with higher education and younger age indicated more information-seeking behavior. Conclusions: Patients and their relatives differ in some of their information-seeking behavior. Patients beliefs and their strategies for coping with their illness can constrain their wish for information and their efforts to obtain it. Healthcare professionals need to assess and be sensitive to the information-seeking behavior of cancer patients and their relatives.

Patient Education About Treatment in Cancer Care

Cancer Nursing, 2007

An increasing number of older people are treated for cancer. Several factors, such as comorbidity and sensory deficits, occur more frequently in older patients than in younger patients. In addition, their life circumstances, values, and preferences may differ. These factors ask for tailored nurse-older patient communication. This article reviews recent literature on the specific needs of older patients with cancer in the treatment phase of the disease. No studies addressed treatment-related needs of older patients specifically. Seventeen studies controlled for age showed that many older patients want as much information on disease and treatment as possible, but they are less interested in details than younger patients. Furthermore, older patients reported less need for information on sexual consequences and psychosocial support. The results remain difficult to interpret because of variation in study designs and questionnaires. Moreover, none of the studies controlled for age-related variables. Studies that illuminate the unique needs of older patients with cancer in the treatment phase of the disease are strikingly limited given the demographics of cancer in our society. Research is needed that explicitly investigates these needs and the influence of age-related changes in cognitive, physical, and psychosocial functioning.

Patient and physician reports of the information provided about illness and treatment: what matters for patients' adaptation to cancer during treatment?

Psycho-oncology, 2015

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine (a) whether illness representations mediate the relation of the amount of information provided by physicians to patients' adaptation to illness; (b) whether patient-physician agreement on the information provided impacts the aforementioned relationship. The study focused on information that, according to the Common Sense Self-Regulation Model, is essential for adaptation to illness. Methods: The sample consisted of 93 patients undergoing chemotherapy and their physicians. Indirect (mediation) effects and conditional (moderated) indirect effects were examined using bootstrapping. Results: The more illness and treatment-related information was provided by physicians, the more positive illness representations (specifically, illness consequences, emotional representations, and personal control) were reported by patients. In turn, these illness representations were related to better physical functioning and better adjustment to cancer. The degree of the patient-physician agreement on the information provided did not affect this relationship. Conclusions: What seems to be more crucial for patients' adaptation to cancer during treatment is the amount of information provided by physicians rather than their agreement with patients on the information provided. Also, there is a need to thoroughly examine the pathways through which information provision impacts adaptation to illness.

Measuring information needs among cancer patients

Patient Education and Counseling, 2001

A scale for assessing information needs of cancer patients was constructed and validated. Two studies were conducted. Study 1 was designed to test the factor structure of the measurement instrument. A total of 498 patients with breast cancer and Hodgkin disease were interviewed. In study 2, 133 patients with head and neck cancer were measured just before treatment as well as 6, 13 and 52 weeks after treatment. Study 2 aimed to con®rm the factor structure established in study 1, and to test for construct validity in a new population, the psychometric properties of the information needs scales, and the scales' sensitivity to change. In study 1 a two-factor structure (an action and a disease-oriented scale) including 17 items was revealed. The second study con®rmed the factor structure from study 1. As hypothesized, greater information needs related to higher levels of state-anxiety, more depression, and more psychological complaints. Although, correlations over time per information need scale indicate some stability of scores, ®ndings suggested that the need for information about disease and treatment is less stable over time than need for information about access to help and solutions. Further validation of the instrument is required. #

The Informational, Psychological and Social Needs of Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy, Visiting Imam Reza Teaching Hospital, Tabriz, in 2016

Acta Facultatis Medicae Naissensis

Summary Understanding physical, psychological and social needs is the basis for disease management. The purpose of this study was to investigate the informational, psychological, and social needs of patients undergoing chemotherapy. The present study is a descriptive-correlational one conducted on 400 patients undergoing chemotherapy visiting a teaching hospital in Northwest Iran. The data collection instrument consisted of three sections, including the demographic information of patients, a researcher-made questionnaire to determine the informational needs of patients, and a Psychosocial Needs Index (PNI) provided to patients while receiving chemotherapy. Data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics in SPSS 21 version. The results showed that the mean score of patients’ informational needs was high and the mean score of their psychosocial needs was moderate. Regarding the informational dimension, the highest level of need was reported for the item “I need to be awar...

Information-seeking styles among cancer patients before and after treatment by demographics and use of information sources

Journal of health …, 2009

The type and quantity of information needed varies between patients who actively seek information and those who tend to avoid information. We analyzed data from a longitudinal study of adult cancer patients from outpatient clinics for whom information needs and behaviors were assessed by survey before and after treatment. We evaluated the relationships between information-seeking style (active, moderately active and passive styles) and demographics, cancer type, and health status for the pretreatment and posttreatment periods and overall. The Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) approach was used to model the log odds of more active to more passive information-seeking preferences taking into consideration both the pretreatment and posttreatment periods.