•Patients have more diverse needs for cancer information than previously documented.•Cancer information preferences are differentially associated with care satisfaction.•40% of individuals diagnosed ...within the last 6 months do not want information about their cancer.•Intense cancer information seekers report lower satisfaction with cancer care.
True person-centered care (PCC) involves anticipating, responding to, and integrating patients’ needs and preferences as the illness experience unfolds. PCC success rests, in part, on quality provider-patient communication and tailored information exchange. These processes can have profound effects on the patient experience, self-management and health outcomes including survival. Cancer information-seeking preferences (CISP) by patients are increasingly found to modulate illness and care processes. However, research has yet to document the CISP types and prevalence as well as their associations with satisfaction with care.
Individuals (N = 2142) treated for cancer in the last 6 months completed the Ambulatory Oncology Patient Satisfaction Survey (AOPSS) and a CISP measure.
Whereas 60.3% (n = 1292) reported wanting to actively seek information about their cancer, a surprisingly high percentage (i.e., 39.7%; n = 850) did not. Men reported avoiding cancer information to a greater extent than women, χ² (4, N = 2108) = 12.00, p = 0.02. CISP were also differentially associated with 6 key domains of satisfaction, with intense seekers consistently being less satisfied.
These findings underscore how CISP can significantly affect patients’ cancer experience as well as their care satisfaction.
Title. Combining individual interviews and focus groups to enhance data richness.
Aim. This paper is a presentation of the critical reflection on the types of findings obtained from the combination ...of individual interviews and focus groups, and how such triangulation contributes to knowledge production and synthesis.
Background. Increasingly, qualitative method triangulation is advocated as a strategy to achieve more comprehensive understandings of phenomena. Although ontological and epistemological issues pertaining to triangulation are a topic of debate, more practical discussions are needed on its potential contributions, such as enhanced data richness and depth of inquiry.
Method. Data gathered through individual interviews and focus groups from a study on patterns of cancer information‐seeking behaviour are used to exemplify the added‐value but also the challenges of relying on methods combination.
Findings. The integration of focus group and individual interview data made three main contributions: a productive iterative process whereby an initial model of the phenomenon guided the exploration of individual accounts and successive individual data further enriched the conceptualisation of the phenomenon; identification of the individual and contextual circumstances surrounding the phenomenon, which added to the interpretation of the structure of the phenomenon; and convergence of the central characteristics of the phenomenon across focus groups and individual interviews, which enhanced trustworthiness of findings.
Conclusion. Although the use of triangulation is promising, more work is needed to identify the added‐value or various outcomes pertaining to method combination and data integration.
Health Information—Seeking Behavior Lambert, Sylvie D.; Loiselle, Carmen G.
Qualitative Health Research,
10/2007, Letnik:
17, Številka:
8
Journal Article, Book Review
Recenzirano
Seeking information about one's health is increasingly documented as a key coping strategy in health-promotive activities and psychosocial adjustment to illness. In this article, the authors ...critically examine the scientific literature from 1982 to 2006 on the concept of health information—seeking behavior (HISB) to determine its level of maturity and clarify the concept's essential characteristics. A principle-based method of concept analysis provides the framework for exploring the nature of HISB. The authors reviewed approximately 100 published articles and five books reporting on HISB. Although HISB is a popular concept used in various contexts, most HISB definitions provide little insight into the concept's specific meanings. The authors describe the concept's characteristics, contributing to a clearer understanding of HISB, and discuss operationalizations, antecedents, and outcomes of HISB. Such an analysis of HISB might guide further theorizing on this highly relevant concept and assist health care providers in designing optimal informational interventions.
Oncology nursing was an early adopter of person-centred care (PCC)—broadly defined as a respectful, responsive, and tailored approach to healthcare that strives to consider peoples’ needs, values, ...and preferences (Loiselle et al., 2019). PCC is established as a central aim for any comprehensive cancer care centre, with the onus now on the continued promotion of upstream approaches. Upstream, also called bottom-up approaches address, from a user perspective, individual, social, and economic factors that may act as barriers to care.
Contemporary cancer care approaches, such as value- and strengths-based health care, involve integrating patients' needs and preferences, as the cancer experience unfolds. Distinct cancer ...information-seeking behaviours among patients are increasingly found to influence patient-provider communication, treatment-related decision-making, health processes and outcomes, as well as patient satisfaction with cancer care services. My program of research has already documented diverse cancer information-seeking profiles (CISP) among patients. These profiles can easily be captured by a theory-driven and empirically sound self-report single-item measure presented herein.ObjectiveContemporary cancer care approaches, such as value- and strengths-based health care, involve integrating patients' needs and preferences, as the cancer experience unfolds. Distinct cancer information-seeking behaviours among patients are increasingly found to influence patient-provider communication, treatment-related decision-making, health processes and outcomes, as well as patient satisfaction with cancer care services. My program of research has already documented diverse cancer information-seeking profiles (CISP) among patients. These profiles can easily be captured by a theory-driven and empirically sound self-report single-item measure presented herein.Guided by Self-Evaluation Theory (SET) - which posits that individuals vary in their motivation to seek information about the self - quantitative work established that SET motives could be reproduced in health-related contexts (N = 600). Qualitative inquiry subsequently explored information-seeking among individuals with various cancer diagnoses. Based on this series of studies, a CIPS measure (containing a general question which prompts individuals to choose the most representative statement based on five descriptions of distinct informational profiles) was tested in a large sample of individuals with diverse cancers.MethodsGuided by Self-Evaluation Theory (SET) - which posits that individuals vary in their motivation to seek information about the self - quantitative work established that SET motives could be reproduced in health-related contexts (N = 600). Qualitative inquiry subsequently explored information-seeking among individuals with various cancer diagnoses. Based on this series of studies, a CIPS measure (containing a general question which prompts individuals to choose the most representative statement based on five descriptions of distinct informational profiles) was tested in a large sample of individuals with diverse cancers.In this latter sample (N = 2,142), patients were administered the CISP and the Ambulatory Oncology Patient Satisfaction Survey (AOPSS). The most frequently reported CISP was complementary (50.2%, i.e., search for cancer information that added to what patients already knew), followed by minimal (25.2%, i.e., no search for cancer information), then guarded (14.4%, i.e., avoiding negative and only seeking hopeful cancer information), peer-focused (6.4%, i.e., search for cancer information from similar others), and last, intense (3.8%, i.e., seeking as much cancer information as possible). These profiles were also differentially related to care satisfaction with intense profiles being the least satisfied across all cancer care domains.ResultsIn this latter sample (N = 2,142), patients were administered the CISP and the Ambulatory Oncology Patient Satisfaction Survey (AOPSS). The most frequently reported CISP was complementary (50.2%, i.e., search for cancer information that added to what patients already knew), followed by minimal (25.2%, i.e., no search for cancer information), then guarded (14.4%, i.e., avoiding negative and only seeking hopeful cancer information), peer-focused (6.4%, i.e., search for cancer information from similar others), and last, intense (3.8%, i.e., seeking as much cancer information as possible). These profiles were also differentially related to care satisfaction with intense profiles being the least satisfied across all cancer care domains.The CISP measure can readily assess patients' profiles in the search for (or avoidance of) information about their cancer so that more personalized interventions can be provided. Future research exploring how CISP evolves, as the cancer experience unfolds, is also worthy of further study.Conclusions and Practice ImplicationsThe CISP measure can readily assess patients' profiles in the search for (or avoidance of) information about their cancer so that more personalized interventions can be provided. Future research exploring how CISP evolves, as the cancer experience unfolds, is also worthy of further study.
Amid pandemics, health care teams face unprecedented challenges, requiring significant efforts to sustain optimal functioning and navigate rapid practice changes. It is therefore crucial to identify ...factors affecting team functioning in these contexts. The present narrative review more specifically summarizes the literature on key elements of cancer teams' functioning during COVID-19. The search strategy involved four main databases (i.e., Medline OVID, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL), as well as Google Scholar, from January 2000 to September 2022. Twenty-three publications were found to be relevant. Each was read thoroughly, and its content summarized. Across publications, three key themes emerged: (1) swiftly adopting virtual technology for communication and interprofessional collaboration, (2) promoting team resilience, and (3) encouraging self-care and optimizing team support. Our findings underscore key team functioning elements to address in future pandemics. More research is needed to document the perspectives of broader-based team members (such as patients and lay carers) to inform more comprehensive evidence-based team functioning guidelines.
The development and use of oral anticancer agents (OAAs) continue to grow, and supporting individuals on OAAs is now a priority as they find themselves taking these drugs at home with little ...professional guidance. This mapping review provides an overview of the current evidence concerning OAA-supportive adherence interventions, identifying potential gaps, and making recommendations to guide future work. Four large databases and the grey literature were searched for publications from 2010 to 2022. Quantitative, qualitative, mixed-method, theses/dissertations, reports, and abstracts were included, whereas protocols and reviews were excluded. Duplicates were removed, and the remaining publications were screened by title and abstract. Full-text publications were assessed and those meeting the inclusion criteria were retained. Data extracted included the year of publication, theoretical underpinnings, study design, targeted patients, sample size, intervention type, and primary outcome(s). 3175 publications were screened, with 435 fully read. Of these, 314 were excluded with 120 retained. Of the 120 publications, 39.2% (
= 47) were observational studies, 38.3% (
= 46) were quasi-experimental, and 16.7% (
= 20) were experimental. Only 17.5% (
= 21) were theory-based. Despite the known efficacy of multi-modal interventions, 63.7% (
= 76) contained one or two modalities, 33.3% (
= 40) included 3, and 3.3% (
= 4) contained four types of modalities. Medication adherence was measured primarily through self-report (
= 31) or chart review/pharmacy refills (
= 28). Given the importance of patient tailored interventions, future work should test whether having four intervention modalities (behavioral, educational, medical, and technological) guided by theory can optimize OAA-related outcomes.
On behalf of the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology, we are pleased to present the Abstracts from the 2023 Annual Conference, titled "Co-designing Psychosocial Oncology: Optimizing ...Outcomes for All". The conference was held in Montreal from 20 June 2023 to 22 June 2023. This conference brought together key stakeholders including multidisciplinary professionals from nursing, psychology, psychiatry, social work, spiritual care, nutrition, medicine, rehabilitation medicine, occupational health and radiation therapy for both adult and pediatric populations. Participants included clinicians, researchers, educators in cancer care, community-based organizations and patient representatives. Patients, caregivers and family members presented abstracts that spoke to their role in managing cancer experiences and care. Over one hundred (100) abstracts were selected for presentation as symposia, 20-min oral presentations, 10-min oral presentations, 90-min workshops and poster presentations. We congratulate all the presenters on their research work and contribution.
Research on patients' perceptions of cancer care often documents sub-optimal experiences. Cancer care quality issues include restricted service access, lack of care coordination, gaps in follow-up ...and "generic" rather than person-centered care. Recent reports underscore that proactively and periodically seeking user feedback is crucial for timely care quality improvement. The present study aimed to analyze and thematically organize a large amount of feedback from patients who had been treated for cancer within the last 6 months.
Randomly selected participants (N = 3,278) from 3 University-affiliated cancer centres in Montreal, Quebec, Canada completed the Ambulatory Oncology Patient Satisfaction Survey (AOPSS) and an open-ended question on their perceptions of the care they received. 692 participants responded to the latter. Guided by the Cancer Experience Measurement Framework (CEMF), their feedback was analyzed using a qualitative thematic approach.
Cancer care perceptions included sub-themes of care access and coordination, continuity/transition, and perceived appropriateness/personalisation of care. The most salient theme was captured by care access and coordination with 284 comments (44%) directly addressing these issues. The ways in which health care services were structured including setting, schedule, and location were often raised as cause for concerns. Issues surrounding cancer information/education, emotional support, and physical comfort were frequently reported as unmet needs. In addition, limited access to cancer services led patients to seek alternatives such as going to emergency departments and/or private care.
These findings are timely as they show that most patients are well aware of quality issues in cancer care and are willing to report candidly on these. Patient feedback also underscore the importance for cancer care institutions to periodically gather patient-reported data so that systems can re-calibrate their service offerings according to these data. Ultimately, patient reports will translate into enhanced quality, personalization, and safer cancer care provision.
Patient advocacy remains a key priority within the Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology (CAPO) and the Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology (CANO). Optimizing collaboration across ...advocacy organizations, institutions, and other stakeholders is timely as we enter an era where patients and their caregivers' voices are front and centre. In this paper, we report on ongoing efforts to advance patient advocacy - broadly defined as processes and behaviours related to proactively supporting a cause - herein specific to cancer care. Through active partnering, both organizations are well positioned to push for a representative and inclusive national psychosocial oncology advocacy agenda.
