Cancer patient and caregiver experiences: communication and pain management issues

Abstract

This study examined facilitators and barriers to effective patient and caregiver communication with providers with emphasis on communication related to cancer pain management. Focus groups and personal interviews were conducted with cancer patients and family caregivers of patients. Communication experiences of subjects as well as suggestions for ways to improve the communication process were elicited. Twenty-two cancer patients and 16 family caregivers participated in the study. Seven themes emerged suggesting improvements that are needed in the communication process. These include: 1) improving the process of information exchange, 2) increasing active participation of patient and caregiver in the care process, 3) improving provider relationship-building skills, 4) overcoming time barriers, 5) addressing fears regarding use of pain management medications, 6) fostering appropriate involvement of family and caregivers in the communication process, and 7) improving coordination of care among providers. Specific suggestions and their practice implications for health care providers are highlighted.

Cancer Pain: Knowledge and Experiences from the Perspective of the Patient and their Family Caregivers

“…This result shows parallels with the results of the relevant study conducted (19,26,31,32,33). It is also seen that patients and family caregivers may be reluctant to go along with treatment due to the side effects associated with the use of opioids (addiction in particular), concerns about the development of medicine tolerances, and the damaging belief that cancer pain is a consequence of the natural course of the illness (12).…”

The Influence of Doctor-Patient Communication on Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review

“…Especially in the field of cancer (Kimberlin et al 2004;Kuzari et al 2013;Mackenzie et al 2013;Wright et al 2008) but also for other diseases (Wodskou et al 2014), high quality information and education were important for the patients themselves as well as for their families and caregivers. This was appropriate not only for giving support and for understanding the patients' situation, but also for dealing with the fatal consequences of the disease: Wright et al (2008) for example described how end-of-life discussions with advanced cancer patients and their families were able to have a positive impact on the long-term bereavement adjustment after death.…”

“…An example of the different way of operationalization is how the concept of 'patient-doctor relationship' was assessed in different studies: while Kimberlin et al (2004) used focus group interviews to identify aspects of the doctor-patient relationship, other studies such as Little et al (2001) or Alexander et al (2012) used self-administered questionnaires, which sometimes have been previously validated and sometimes were pragmatically constructed for said trial. We therefore follow the argument of Di Blasi et al (2001): the results of a metaanalysis would have been like comparing apples with oranges.…”

Attitudes and experiences of family involvement in cancer consultations: a qualitative exploration of patient and family member perspectives

“…However, limited qualitative research has, more comprehensively, explored stakeholder experiences of and views concerning family involvement. The limited qualitative research conducted to date indicates that most patients appreciate and prefer family involvement in cancer consultations [7,8], and FMs themselves appreciate the opportunity to attend and contribute [9]. Whilst FMs report many positive experiences with oncology clinicians (e.g.…”