Avoidant adjustment predicts lower information seeking in people with lung cancer

Impact of patient information format on the experience of cancer patients treated with radiotherapy

Introduction

Radiotherapy (RT) stands as one of the main cancer treatments. The impact of RT and cancer treatment can have a physical and psychological impact on patients and their carers. To gain patient's trust, and ensure they feel valued, information should be provided before, during, and after RT. Patient and public involvement (PPI) has been lacking, and increased engagement with PPI groups could improve this. This rapid review aims to analyse the literature, and describe and report patient perception, experience, and satisfaction regarding the information received concerning their course of RT.

Methods

To allow the synthesis of results, a pragmatic decision was made to use a rapid review approach to analyse the literature, providing more timely information to inform future work. This rapid review utilised systematic review methods and was conducted according to a pre-defined protocol including clear inclusion criteria (PROSPERO registration: CRD42023415916).Electronic databases CINAHL, AMED, Pubmed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO were searched using a comprehensive search for published studies from January 2012 to November 2023. Two independent reviewers applied the eligibility criteria. Evidence from literature was extracted and transcribed into qualitative data and Braun and Clarke's six-step thematic analysis (TA) was employed to determine themes by one reviewer and checked by a second [26]. Due to the heterogeneity of the included literature, the analysis of this review is presented primarily through narrative synthesis.

Results

Sixty eight articles met the inclusion criteria for this review. Emerging themes included; a desire for information based on patient characteristics, information format, patient preparedness, timing e.g. timing of information and changing priorities over time, health care professional (HCP) involvement, barriers to information, and motivators for better information delivery.

Conclusions

Several factors can influence a patient's desire for information, from whom and when they receive it, to what format they would prefer to receive it. There is benefit to be gained in employing PPI and patient advocacy to inform future studies that aim to further understand the themes that emerged from this review. Such studies can therefore inform HCPs in providing patient-specific information and support by utilising multiple teaching strategies available to them.

Living with mesothelioma: A systematic review of patient and caregiver psychosocial support needs

OBJECTIVE

Practice guidelines emphasize the importance of investigating psychosocial distress in mesothelioma patients and family caregivers. We aimed to synthesize research on the psychosocial support needs of mesothelioma patients and their family caregivers.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review with a narrative synthesis and quality assessment. The review process adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

RESULTS

MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, PsychArticles, and PsycINFO were searched until December 2020 and 37 studies in English met inclusion criteria. Most (n = 24) included mesothelioma patients as a very small proportion of their cancer samples. A narrative synthesis was conducted on the 13 studies including only mesothelioma patients (n = 297) and/or caregivers (n = 82). Patients and caregivers want improvements in the diagnosis delivery and access to palliative care. Patients want emotional support, patient-centered treatment, improved information about illness progression and death, and to meet others with mesothelioma. Caregivers want one-on-one practical and emotional support. Study quality varied.

CONCLUSIONS

Few studies focus on the psychosocial support needs relevant to mesothelioma. Mesothelioma patients and family caregivers highlight targeted psychosocial care as an unmet need.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Efforts are required to design and test psychosocial interventions for this vulnerable and overlooked group.

PROTOCOL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO (registration number CRD42020167852).

Longitudinal Study on Quality of Life and Psychosocial Conditions in Light of Responses to Illness-Related Information in Postoperative Cancer Patients

Objective:

Illness-related information can be significant for cancer patients after gastrointestinal (GI) surgery in terms of their performing adaptive tasks. This study longitudinally investigated the health outcomes of Japanese patients who read a booklet about cancer patients’ problems and adaption tasks and evaluated the association between the responses to the booklet and the patients’ health outcomes.

Methods:

A questionnaire survey about quality of life (QOL), fatigue, anxiety, cognitive plight, and resilience was administered to postoperative patients with GI cancer 1 week after their discharge from hospital and 6 months after surgery. The questionnaires were returned by email.

Results:

The mean age of the 32 patients at 1 week was 60.9 years; nearly 68.8% of them were men. As a whole, only two variables, QOL and anxiety, were significantly improved at 6 months over those at 1 week. Three statements were taken to gauge the responses to the booklet. In the two-way ANOVA that took QOL and responses to the booklet as independent variables, the post hoc test found that QOL was significantly improved in patients who agreed with the statement “I vaguely understood the content” or “I will deal with my tasks as described in the scenarios” but not in patients who agreed with the statement “The scenarios reflect my situation.” The anxiety in patients who agreed with the statement “The scenarios reflect my situation” was high at both survey points.

Conclusions:

This study suggests that associations between the responses to the informational booklet and patients’ health outcomes partially indicate the directional property of how to support their information usage.