Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

LIVE: Thursday 27th June 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)
Join our expert panel to discover why you need to understand the drivers of non-adherence in your patients, and how you can optimize medication adherence in your clinics to drastically improve patient outcomes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Supportive Care in Cancer
Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer 10/2004

01-10-2004 | Original Article

Oncology professionals and patient requests for cancer support services

Authors: B. Alex Matthews, Frank Baker, Rachel L. Spillers

Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer | Issue 10/2004

Login to get access

Abstract

Objective

To examine the kinds of psychosocial support services that cancer patients most often request across a multidisciplinary sample of currently practicing U.S. oncological health care professionals (OHCPs) representative of a typical cancer care team.

Participants

Primary data collection. A randomly selected sample of 1,180 OHCPs (44% physicians, 24% nurses, 32% social workers) who were active members of their respective oncological associations completed a brief four-page mailed survey during the spring of 2001.

Methods

Cross-sectional, descriptive study. Descriptive statistics were computed for all study variables. ANOVA procedures were used to examine demographic difference between respondents and nonrespondents. Frequencies were calculated for patient inquires for cancer support services inquiries, and logistic regression was used to evaluate professional group differences on inquiries. Chi-square statistics were used to test for significant differences between professional groups.

Results

Approximately 94% of OHCPs were asked about cancer-related support services by their patients. Quantitative data indicated that information and education about cancer (72%), support groups (65%), and hospice referral (52%) were paramount among patient concerns. Qualitatively, comments about transportation, lodging during treatment, and alternative medicine reflected the general sentiment that basic needs and opportunities for options may still be unmet. Patient inquiries for services varied significantly by professional group (p <.001).

Conclusion

This information reflects the need for a multidisciplinary perspective and will be useful for planning patient-based cancer education and support initiatives, refining existing programs, and targeting materials to specific oncological professionals.
Literature
1.
Ashbury FD, Findlay H, Reynolds B, McKerracher K (1998) A Canadian survey of cancer patients’ experiences: Are their needs being met? J Pain Symptom Manage 16:298–306
2.
Auerbach SM (2001) Do patients want control over their own health care? A review of measures, findings, and research issues. J Health Psychol 6:191–203CrossRef
3.
Blake-Mortimer J, Gore-Felton C, Kimerling R, Turner-Cobb JM, Spiegel D (1999) Improving the quality and quantity of life among patients with cancer: A review of the effectiveness of group psychotherapy. Euro J Cancer 35:1581–1586CrossRef
4.
Brady MJ, Peterman AH, Fitchett G, Mo M, Cella D (1999) A case for including spirituality in quality of life measurement in oncology Psycho Oncol 8:417–428CrossRef
5.
Brody DS, Miller SM, Lerman CE, Smith DG, Lazaro CG, Blum MJ (1989) The relationship between patients’ satisfaction with their physicians and perceptions about interventions they desired and received. Med Care 27:1027–1035PubMed
6.
Centers for Disease Control (2004) Leading causes of death, 2001. http://​www.​cdc.​gov/​nchs/​fastats/​lcod.​htm.​ Cited 30 Jan 2004
7.
Champman K, Rush K (2003) Patient and family satisfaction with cancer-related information: A review of the literature. Can Oncol Nurs J 13:107–116PubMed
8.
Charles K, Sellick SM, Montesanto B, Mohide EA (1996) Priorities of cancer survivors regarding psychosocial needs. J Psychosoc Oncol 14:57–72
9.
Cho WH, Lee H, Kim C, Lee S, Choi K-S (2004) The impact of visit frequency on the relationship between service quality and outpatient satisfaction: A South Korean study. Health Serv Res 39:13–33CrossRefPubMed
10.
Crooks DL., Whelan TJ, Reyno L, Willan A, Tozer R, Mings D, Miller J, Tew M, Elliott P, Levine M (2004). The Initial Health Assessment: An intervention to identify the supportive care needs of cancer patients. Sup Care Cancer 12:19–24
11.
Cummings SM, Savitz LA, Konrad TR (2001) Reported response rates to mailed physician questionnaires. Health Serv Res 35:1347–1355PubMed
12.
Eakin EG, Strycker LA (2001) Awareness and barriers to use of cancer support and information resources by HMO patients with breast, prostate, or colon cancer: Patient and provider perspectives. Psycho Oncol 10:103–113CrossRef
13.
Fawzy FI, Fawzy NW, Arndt LA, Pasnau RO (1995) Critical review of psychosocial interventions in cancer care. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2:100–113
14.
Fawzy FI (1999) Psychosocial interventions for patients with cancer: What works and what doesn’t. Euro J Cancer 35:1559–1564CrossRef
15.
Ferrell BR, Grant M, Borneman T, Juarez G, terVeer AT (1999) Family caregiving in cancer pain management. J Palliat Med 2:185–195
16.
Fervers B, Demma F, Farsi F, Sandrin-Berthon B, Douiller A, Delavigne V et al (1999) Development of information sources for cancer patients based on clinical practice guidelines and patient needs (Abstract). Annual Meeting of the Internation Society of Technology Assessment in Health Care 15:133
17.
Gray RE, Goel V, Fitch MI, Franssen E, Chart P, Greenberg M et al (2000) Utilization of professional supportive care services by women with breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 64:253–258PubMed
18.
Greer S, Moorey S, Baruch J (1991) Evaluation of adjuvant psychological therapy for clinically referred cancer patients. Brit J Cancer 63:257–260PubMed
19.
Guidry JJ, Aday LA, Zhang D, Winn RJ (1997) The role of informal and formal social support networks for patients with cancer. Cancer Prac 5:241–246
20.
Holland JC (1999). National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) practice guidelines for the management of psychosocial distress. Oncol 13 (5A):113–147PubMed
21.
Holland JC (2001) Improving the human side of cancer care: Psycho-oncology’s contribution. J Clin Oncol 21 [Suppl 23]:2535–2655
22.
Iacovino V, Reesor K (1997) Literature on interventions to address cancer patients’ needs: What does it tell us? J Psychosoc Oncol 15:47–71
23.
Joos SK, Hickam DH, Borders LM (1993) Patients’ desires and satisfaction in general medicine clinics. Pub Health Rep 108:751–759
24.
Kornblith AB, Herndon JE II, Zuckerman E, Viscoli CM, Horwitz RI, Cooper MR, Harris L, Tkaczuk KH, Perry MC, Budman D, Norton L, Holland JC (2001) Social support as a buffer to the psychological impact of stressful life events in women with breast cancer. Cancer 91:443–454CrossRefPubMed
25.
Krupnick J, Rowland J, Goldberg R, and Daniel U (1993) Professionally-led Support Groups for Cancer Patients: An Intervention in Search of a Model. Internat J Psychiat Med 23:275–294
26.
Laine C, Davidoff, F (1996) Patient-centered medicine: A professional evolution. J Am Med Assoc 275:152–156CrossRef
27.
Litwin MS, Hays RD, Fink A, Ganz PA, Leake B, Brook RH (1998) The UCLA Prostate Cancer Index: Development, reliability, and validity of a health-related quality of life measure. Med Care 37:1002–1012CrossRef
28.
Loescher LJ, Clark L, Atwood JR, Leigh S, Lamb G (1990) The impact of the cancer experience on long-term survivors. Oncol Nurs Forum 17:223–229PubMed
29.
Low JA, Liu R, Strutt R, Chye R (2001) Specialist community palliative care services: A survey of general practitioners’ experience in Eastern Sydney. Sup Care Cancer 9:474–476CrossRef
30.
Matthews BA, Baker F, Hann DM, Denniston M, Smith TG (2002) Health status and life satisfaction among breast cancer survivor peer-support volunteers.” Psycho-Oncol 11:199–211
31.
Matthews BA, Baker F, Spillers RL (2002) Healthcare professionals’ awareness of cancer support services. Cancer Prac 10:36–44CrossRef
32.
Michael YL, Kawachi I, Berkman LF, Holmes MD, Colditz GA (2000) The persistent impact of breast carcinoma on functional health status. Cancer 89:2176–2186CrossRefPubMed
33.
Murphy, GP, Lawrence W Jr, Lenhard E Jr (1995) American Cancer Society textbook of clinical oncology (2nd ed.). Atlanta, GA: Am Cancer Soc
34.
Patel VL, Cytryn KN, Shortliffe EH, Safran C (2000). The collaborative health care team: The role of individual and group expertise. Teach Learn Med 12:117–132CrossRefPubMed
35.
Peck B, Mitchell MS, Asch DA, Goold SD, Roter DL, Ubel PA, McIntyre LM, et al (2001) Measuring patient expectations: Does the instrument affect satisfaction or expectations?” Med Care 39:100–108
36.
Sanson-Fisher R, Girgis A, Boyes A, Bonevski B, Burton L, Cook P (2000) The unmet supportive care needs of patients with cancer. Cancer 88:226–37PubMed
37.
Schulz R, Williamson GM, Knapp JE, Bookwala J, Lave J, Fello M (1995) The psychological, social, and economic impact of illness among patients with recurrent cancer. J Psychosoc Oncol 13:21–45
38.
Simon C, Little P, Birtwistle J, Kendrick T (2003) A questionnaire to measure satisfaction with community services for informal carers of stroke patients: Construction and initial piloting. Health Soc Care Commun 11:129–137CrossRef
39.
Stalker MZ, Johnson PS, Cimma C (1989) Supportive activities requested by survivors of cancer. J Psychosoc Oncol 7:21–31
40.
Uhlmann RF, Inui TS, Pecoraro RE, Carter WB (1988) Relationship of patient requested fulfillment to compliance, glycemic control, and other health care outcomes in insulin-dependent diabetes. J Gen Int Med 3:458–463
41.
Yancik R, Yates JW (1986) Quality of life assessment of cancer patients: Conceptual and methodological challenges and constraints. Cancer Bullet 38:217–222
Metadata
Title
Oncology professionals and patient requests for cancer support services
Authors
B. Alex Matthews
Frank Baker
Rachel L. Spillers
Publication date
01-10-2004
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
Supportive Care in Cancer / Issue 10/2004
Print ISSN: 0941-4355
Electronic ISSN: 1433-7339
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-004-0647-9

Other articles of this Issue 10/2004

Supportive Care in Cancer 10/2004 Go to the issue

Review Article

Communication training for health professionals who care for patients with cancer: a systematic review of effectiveness

Forthcoming Meetings

Forthcoming Meetings

Original Article

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in routine practice: a European perspective

Original Article

The nutritional status of older men with advanced prostate cancer and factors affecting it

Short Communication

Relationship between morphine and radiotherapy for management of symptomatic bone metastases from lung cancer

Original Article

A prospective randomised evaluation of G-CSF or G-CSF plus oral antibiotics in chemotherapy-treated patients at high risk of developing febrile neutropenia
Webinar | 19-02-2024 | 17:30 (CET)

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on antibody–drug conjugates in cancer

Watch now

Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) are novel agents that have shown promise across multiple tumor types. Explore the current landscape of ADCs in breast and lung cancer with our experts, and gain insights into the mechanism of action, key clinical trials data, existing challenges, and future directions.

Dr. Véronique Diéras
Prof. Fabrice Barlesi
Developed by: Springer Medicine
Image Credits