PURPOSE/ OBJECTIVES: to identify the information and stress-management topics of most interest to low-income, predominantly African American cancer survivors. RESEARCH APPROACH: descriptive, cross sectional. SETTING: outpatient oncology clinic in a public hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. PARTICIPANTS: 25 patients with cancer; 12 were men, 22 were African Americans, and 16 had a 12th-grade education or less. METHODOLOGIC APPROACH: patients ranked potential topics to be included in an educational curriculum. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: quantitative rankings of information and stress-management priorities. FINDINGS: learning about cancer, understanding cancer treatments, relieving cancer pain, and keeping well in mind and body were the most highly ranked topics among those offered within the American Cancer Society's I Can Cope curriculum, which also included supportive topics such as mobilizing social support. The preferred stress-management topics were humor therapy, music therapy, meditation, and relaxation; lower-ranked topics included pet therapy and art as therapy. CONCLUSIONS: cancer survivors appear most interested in topics specific to their illness and treatment versus supportive topics. Stress management also received high rankings. INTERPRETATION: nurses have a key role in providing patient education and support. Tailoring education programs may better target specific needs and improve the quality of cancer care of underserved patients.
PURPOSE/ OBJECTIVES: to identify the information and stress-management topics of most interest to low-income, predominantly African American cancer survivors. RESEARCH APPROACH: descriptive, cross sectional. SETTING:outpatient oncology clinic in a public hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. PARTICIPANTS: 25 patients with cancer; 12 were men, 22 were African Americans, and 16 had a 12th-grade education or less. METHODOLOGIC APPROACH: patients ranked potential topics to be included in an educational curriculum. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: quantitative rankings of information and stress-management priorities. FINDINGS: learning about cancer, understanding cancer treatments, relieving cancer pain, and keeping well in mind and body were the most highly ranked topics among those offered within the American Cancer Society's I Can Cope curriculum, which also included supportive topics such as mobilizing social support. The preferred stress-management topics were humor therapy, music therapy, meditation, and relaxation; lower-ranked topics included pet therapy and art as therapy. CONCLUSIONS:cancer survivors appear most interested in topics specific to their illness and treatment versus supportive topics. Stress management also received high rankings. INTERPRETATION: nurses have a key role in providing patient education and support. Tailoring education programs may better target specific needs and improve the quality of cancer care of underserved patients.
Authors: Michelle Y Martin; Mary B Evans; Polly Kratt; Lori A Pollack; Judith Lee Smith; Robert Oster; Mark Dignan; Heather Prayor-Patterson; Christopher Watson; Peter Houston; Shiquina Andrews; Amandiy Liwo; Tung Sung Tseng; Sandral Hullett; Joann Oliver; Maria Pisu Journal: J Health Commun Date: 2014-01-16
Authors: Jennifer Wenzel; Randy A Jones; Rachel Klimmek; Sharon Krumm; Linda P Darrell; Danny Song; Vered Stearns; Jean G Ford Journal: Clin J Oncol Nurs Date: 2012-08 Impact factor: 1.027