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 2023 EHA Congress 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

A round-up of the ONWARDS phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the novel weekly insulin icodec in people with diabetes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Supportive Care in Cancer
Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer 5/2017

01-05-2017 | Original Article

Follow-up cancer care: perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cancer survivors

Authors: J. A. Meiklejohn, G. Garvey, R. Bailie, E. Walpole, J. Adams, D. Williamson, J. Martin, C. M. Bernardes, B. Arley, B. Marcusson, P. C. Valery

Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer | Issue 5/2017

Login to get access

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to explore Indigenous Australian cancer survivors’ perspectives of follow-up cancer care and management..

Methods

This is a qualitative study employing individual interviews with 21 Indigenous cancer survivors (13 females, 8 males) recruited from a rural primary health service and large tertiary hospital in Brisbane, Queensland. Yarning methods were used to conduct semi-structured interviews. Yarning is a culturally appropriate, informal conversational process emphasising the importance of storytelling.

Results

Findings describe a range of ways in which follow-up cancer care is experienced with four major categories elucidated, namely: links to tertiary health services, links to primary health services, communication between tertiary and primary health services, and lost in transition. Both positive and negative experiences were described; however, the importance of timely and informative discharge information, continuity of care, good communication between tertiary and primary health services, and strong therapeutic relationships were salient issues raised by participants.

Conclusions

These findings highlight the importance of establishing strong therapeutic relationships between patients and tertiary and primary health professionals. Also important for survivorship is provision of discharge summaries or care plans at discharge for survivors and general practitioners as well as access to a range of allied health services. Alternative means for follow-up could be investigated for regional and rural survivors to facilitate convenient and cost-effective follow-up care. Finally, provision of responsive and flexible follow-up care to cater for the diverse range of needs and preferences of cancer survivors is required. A patient navigator available across the cancer continuum could go some way to addressing this.
Literature
1.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2014) Cancer in Australia: an overview 2014. Cancer series no 90. Cat. no. CAN 88. AIHW, Canberra
2.
Valery PC, Coory M, Stirling J (2006) Cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survival in Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians: a matched cohort study. Lancet (North American edition) [HWWilson - GS] 367:1842
3.
4.
5.
Cass A, Lowell A, Christie M, Snelling PL, Flack M, Marrnganyin B, Brown I (2002) Sharing the true stories: improving communication between Aboriginal patients and healthcare workers. Med J Aust 176(10):466–470PubMed
6.
Shahid S, Durey A, Bessarab D, Aoun SM, Thompson SC (2013) Identifying barriers and improving communication between cancer service providers and Aboriginal patients and their families: the perspective of service providers. BMC Health Serv Res 13(1):460–472. doi:10.​1186/​1472-6963-13-460 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
7.
Treloar C, Gray R, Brener L, Jackson C, Saunders V, Johnson P, Harris M, Butow P, Newman C (2014) “I can’t do this, it’s too much”: building social inclusion in cancer diagnosis and treatment experiences of Aboriginal people, their carers and health workers. International journal of public health 59(2):373. doi:10.​1007/​s00038-013-0466-1 CrossRefPubMed
8.
Shahid S, Finn L, Bessarab D, Thompson SC (2011) ‘Nowhere to room... nobody told them’: logistical and cultural impediments to Aboriginal peoples’ participation in cancer treatment. Aust Health Rev 35(2):235–241CrossRefPubMed
9.
Blanch-Hartigan D, Forsythe LP, Alfano CM, Smith T, Nekhlyudov L, Ganz PA, Rowland JH (2014) Provision and discussion of survivorship care plans among cancer survivors: results of a nationally representative survey of oncologists and primary care physicians. Journal of clinical oncology: official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology 32(15):1578–1585. doi:10.​1200/​JCO.​2013.​51.​7540 CrossRef
10.
11.
Bessarab D, Ng’andu B (2010) Yarning about yarning as a legitimate method of Indigenous research. International Journal of Critical Indigenous Studies 3(1):37–50
12.
Geia LK, Hayes B, Usher K (2013) Yarning/Aboriginal storytelling: towards an understanding of an Indigenous perspective and its implications for research practice. Contemp Nurse 46(1):13–17. doi:10.5172/conu.2013.46.1.13CrossRefPubMed
13.
14.
Charmaz C (2006) Constructing grounded theory: a practical guide through qualitative analysis. Sage Publications, London
15.
16.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2004) Rural, regional and remote health: a guide to remoteness classifications. Vol cat. No PHE 53. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Canberra
17.
Meiklejohn JA, Adams J, Valery PC, Walpole ET, Martin JH, Williams HM, Garvey G (2016) Health professional’s perspectives of the barriers and enablers to cancer care for Indigenous Australians. Eur J Cancer Care 25(2):254–261. doi:10.​1111/​ecc.​12467 CrossRef
18.
Shahid S, Finn L, Thompson SC (2009) Barriers to participation of Aboriginal people in cancer care: communication in the hospital setting. Med J Aust 190(10):574PubMed
19.
Meiklejohn JA, Mimery A, Martin JH, Bailie R, Garvey G, Walpole ET, Adams J, Williamson D, Valery PC (2016) The role of the GP in follow-up cancer care: a systematic literature review. J Cancer Surviv. doi:10.​1007/​s11764-016-0545-4 PubMed
20.
Søgaard M, Thomsen RW, Bossen KS, Sørensen HT, Nørgaard M (2013) The impact of comorbidity on cancer survival: a review. Clinical Epidemiology 5(Suppl 1):3CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
21.
22.
Meiklejohn JA, Adams J, Valery PC, Walpole ET, Martin JH, Williams HM, Garvey G (2015) Indigenous cancer care in Queensland, Australia: health professionals’ framing of “difference”. The Australian Journal of Cancer Nursing 16(1):4–12
23.
24.
25.
Sabesan S, Roberts LJ, Aiken P, Joshi A, Larkins S (2014) Timely access to specialist medical oncology services closer to home for rural patients: experience from the Townsville teleoncology model. Aust J Rural Health 22(4):156–159. doi:10.​1111/​ajr.​12101 CrossRefPubMed
26.
Cavanagh BM, Wakefield CE, McLoone JK, Garvey G, Cohn RJ (2016) Cancer survivorship services for Indigenous peoples: where we stand, where to improve? A systematic review Journal of Cancer Survivorship 10(2):330–341. doi:10.​1007/​s11764-015-0479-2 CrossRefPubMed
27.
Brennan MM, Boyle FJ, Spillane A, Butow P, Marven M (2011) Follow up after breast cancer: views of Australian women. Aust Fam Physician 40(5):311–316PubMed
28.
Lawler S, Spathonis K, Masters J, Adams J, Eakin E (2011) Follow-up care after breast cancer treatment: experiences and perceptions of service provision and provider interactions in rural Australian women. Support Care Cancer 19(12):1975–1982CrossRefPubMed
29.
Walsh J, Young J, Harrison J, Butow P, Solomon M, Masya L, White K (2011) What is important in cancer care coordination? A qualitative investigation. European Journal of Cancer Care 20(2):220–227CrossRefPubMed
30.
Elmir R, Jackson D, Beale B, Schmied V (2010) Against all odds: Australian women’s experiences of recovery from breast cancer. J Clin Nurs 19(17–18):2531–2538CrossRefPubMed
31.
Butow P, Phillips N, Schweder F, White J, Underhill K, Goldstein C (2012) Psychosocial well-being and supportive care needs of cancer patients living in urban and rural/regional areas: a systematic review. Support Care Cancer 20(1):1–22CrossRefPubMed
32.
Ware V (2013) Improving the accessibility of health services in urban and regional settings for Indigenous people. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare: Closing the Gap Clearinghouse, Canberra
33.
Whop L, Garvey G, Baade P, Cunningham J, Lokuge K, Brotherton J, Valery PC, O’Connell DL, Canfell K, Diaz A, Roder D, Gertig D, Moore SP, Condon J (2016) The first comprehensive report on Indigenous Australian women’s inequalities in cervical screening: a retrospective registry cohort study in Queensland, Australia (2000-2011). Cancer 122(10):1560–1569CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
34.
Diaz A, Whop L, Valery PC, Moore SP, Cunningham J, Garvey G, Condon J (2015) Cancer outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in rural and remote areas. Aust J Rural Health 23(1):12CrossRef
35.
Davy C, Harfield S, Mcarthur A, Munn Z, Brown A (2016) Access to primary health care services for Indigenous peoples: a framework synthesis. Int J Equity Health 15. doi:10.​1186/​s12939-016-0450-5
36.
De Maeseneer J, Willems S, De Sutter A, Van de Geuchte I, Billings M (2007) Primary health care as a strategy for achieving equitable care: a literature review commissioned by the Health Systems Knowledge Network. WHO Commission on the Social Determinants of Health, Health Systems Knowledge Network
37.
Braun K, Kagawa-Singer M, Holden A, Burhansstipanov L, Tran J, Seals B, Corbie-Smith G, Tsark JU, Harjo LD, Foo M, Ramirez A (2012) Cancer patient navigator tasks across the cancer care continuum. J Health Care Poor Underserved 23(1):398–413CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
Metadata
Title
Follow-up cancer care: perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cancer survivors
Authors
J. A. Meiklejohn
G. Garvey
R. Bailie
E. Walpole
J. Adams
D. Williamson
J. Martin
C. M. Bernardes
B. Arley
B. Marcusson
P. C. Valery
Publication date
01-05-2017
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Supportive Care in Cancer / Issue 5/2017
Print ISSN: 0941-4355
Electronic ISSN: 1433-7339
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-016-3563-x

Other articles of this Issue 5/2017

Supportive Care in Cancer 5/2017 Go to the issue

Original Article

Quality of life of older African American breast cancer survivors: a population-based study

Original Article

EORTC QLQ-COMU26: a questionnaire for the assessment of communication between patients and professionals. Phase III of the module development in ten countries

Original Article

Perceptions of weight management counseling among gynecologic cancer survivors: opportunities for enhancing survivorship care

Commentary

An exploratory study of the worst-case scenario exercise as an exposure treatment for fear of cancer recurrence

Original Article

Associations between dyadic coping and supportive care needs: findings from a study with hematologic cancer patients and their partners

Review Article

Oral mucosal changes induced by anticancer targeted therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors
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