Gülcan Bağçivan1, Memnun Seven2,3, Şeyma İnciser Paşalak2,4, Ezgi Bilmiç2,4, Yasemin Aydın5, Gözde Öz5, Fatih Selçukbiricik5,6. 1. School of Nursing, Koç University, Koç Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Kampüsü, Davutpaşa Cad. No:4, Topkapı, 34010, Istanbul, Turkey. gbagcivan@ku.edu.tr. 2. School of Nursing, Koç University, Koç Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Kampüsü, Davutpaşa Cad. No:4, Topkapı, 34010, Istanbul, Turkey. 3. Amherst College of Nursing, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA. 4. Graduate School of Health Sciences, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey. 5. Medical Oncology, Koç University Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. 6. Medical School, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To identify cancer patients' palliative care needs with problem burden, problem intensity, and felt needs related to these problems while receiving cancer treatment. METHODS: This is a descriptive survey study conducted at a tertiary hospital with no palliative care services in Istanbul, Turkey, from September 2019 to February 2020. Data were collected using the Patient Information Form and the Three Levels of Needs Questionnaire (3LNQ). Descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage) were used to present data. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 60.2 ± 13.0, and the mean duration since the diagnosis was 11.6 ± 21.4 months. Of the patients, 40.4% were diagnosed with gastrointestinal (GI) cancer, and 34.4% had stage 4 cancer. Patients mostly received help for their pain (85.7%), lack of appetite (64.8%), and nausea (73/7%). The most frequent unmet needs were problems with concentration (70%), worrying (68%), difficulties with sex life (63.6%), problems with being limited in work and daily activities (61.4%), and being depressed (58.5%) among patients who reported to have these symptoms. CONCLUSION: This study shows that patients with cancer require supportive and palliative care along with medical treatment for cancer and its treatment-induced physical and psychological symptoms. The study results have the potential to guide the development of palliative care services, especially for outpatient oncology settings in countries where palliative care services mostly focus on the end-of-life care. Further studies are also needed to focus on interventions to meet cancer patients' palliative care needs during the medical cancer treatment process with tailored palliative care delivery models.
PURPOSE: To identify cancer patients' palliative care needs with problem burden, problem intensity, and felt needs related to these problems while receiving cancer treatment. METHODS: This is a descriptive survey study conducted at a tertiary hospital with no palliative care services in Istanbul, Turkey, from September 2019 to February 2020. Data were collected using the Patient Information Form and the Three Levels of Needs Questionnaire (3LNQ). Descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage) were used to present data. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 60.2 ± 13.0, and the mean duration since the diagnosis was 11.6 ± 21.4 months. Of the patients, 40.4% were diagnosed with gastrointestinal (GI) cancer, and 34.4% had stage 4 cancer. Patients mostly received help for their pain (85.7%), lack of appetite (64.8%), and nausea (73/7%). The most frequent unmet needs were problems with concentration (70%), worrying (68%), difficulties with sex life (63.6%), problems with being limited in work and daily activities (61.4%), and being depressed (58.5%) among patients who reported to have these symptoms. CONCLUSION: This study shows that patients with cancer require supportive and palliative care along with medical treatment for cancer and its treatment-induced physical and psychological symptoms. The study results have the potential to guide the development of palliative care services, especially for outpatient oncology settings in countries where palliative care services mostly focus on the end-of-life care. Further studies are also needed to focus on interventions to meet cancer patients' palliative care needs during the medical cancer treatment process with tailored palliative care delivery models.
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Authors: Stein Kaasa; Jon H Loge; Matti Aapro; Tit Albreht; Rebecca Anderson; Eduardo Bruera; Cinzia Brunelli; Augusto Caraceni; Andrés Cervantes; David C Currow; Luc Deliens; Marie Fallon; Xavier Gómez-Batiste; Kjersti S Grotmol; Breffni Hannon; Dagny F Haugen; Irene J Higginson; Marianne J Hjermstad; David Hui; Karin Jordan; Geana P Kurita; Philip J Larkin; Guido Miccinesi; Friedemann Nauck; Rade Pribakovic; Gary Rodin; Per Sjøgren; Patrick Stone; Camilla Zimmermann; Tonje Lundeby Journal: Lancet Oncol Date: 2018-10-18 Impact factor: 41.316
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