Cancer patients' supportive care needs: Strategies for assessment and intervention

Needs of cancer patients treated in rural and urban cancer departments

“…Quality-of-life research has shown that cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment can have an adverse effect on all areas of a patient's life, including work and social activities, sleep patterns and sexual activity. 2 Family life can also be significantly disrupted, with cancer care often altering family lifestyle and arrangements 7 . Families may become separated while a member is being treated.…”

“…12 In contrast to satisfaction surveys, needs assessments unequivocally assess and recognise specific patient issues, as well as the perceived scale of these issues. 2 They allow individuals and subgroups of patients with higher need levels to be identified and targeted with suitable early interventions and also make it probable for aspects of health services that need improvement to be recognised and prioritised. 2 As an example, the Supportive Care Needs Survey is a needs assessment developed in Australia that measures the global needs of oncology patients.…”

“…2 They allow individuals and subgroups of patients with higher need levels to be identified and targeted with suitable early interventions and also make it probable for aspects of health services that need improvement to be recognised and prioritised. 2 As an example, the Supportive Care Needs Survey is a needs assessment developed in Australia that measures the global needs of oncology patients. 7 The survey is made up of 59 items assessing five factor-based areas of need, including psychological requirements, health information needs, physical and daily living needs, patient care and support and sexuality issues.…”

“…2 The needs of patients have long been obtained by hospitals and health care organisations through the use of customer satisfaction surveys. 12 A downfall of such surveys, however, is that they involve assumption of issues believed to be of importance to customers, with detailed information necessary to guide the improvement of health services often not addressed.…”

“…The quest to meet these needs is great, and often necessitates specialised strategies, particularly in rural areas where resources are more limited. 2 Girgis and Burton 2 state that evaluating the physical symptoms and unmet needs of those diagnosed with cancer can only result in care improvement if: (a) the multidisciplinary team is conscious of the physical and psychosocial difficulties of individual patients; and (b) strategies are in place to address such issues.…”