Concept Analysis of Symptom Disclosure in the Context of Cancer

Abstract

Although symptoms suggestive of cancer are the most common reason that people seek healthcare, the process undertaken to disclose the symptoms is unclear. The purpose of this article is to critically analyze the concept of symptom disclosure in the context of cancer. Rodgers' evolutionary approach was applied to analyze the concept of symptom disclosure. Concept analysis indicates that symptom disclosure is a decision-making process in which a person chooses to tell significant others and a healthcare provider about self-identified symptoms. Characteristics of the concept include symptom interpretation, weighing the risks and benefits of disclosure, and taking action. Influencing factors are knowledge, cancer risk perception, personal or family history of cancer, socioeconomic and cultural factors, and access to care. The concept analysis of symptom disclosure provides guidance for developing strategies to promote healthcare-seeking behavior in practice and suggest areas for future research.

Disclosure: a concept analysis

“…2001). Risk assessment is identified as a key component of disclosing positive HIV status (Eustace & Ilagan 2010) and symptom disclosure by people with oncology (Sun & Knobf 2008). Confidentiality increases trust, affecting the decision to disclose (Pinch 2000).…”

Development of Data Models for Nursing Assessment of Cancer Survivors Using Concept Analysis

“…In the area of oncology nursing, concept analyses have been limited to specific concepts such as "cancer symptom cluster" [24], "symptom experience" [25], "cancer survivorship" [26], "psychological distress" [27], "suffering" [28], and "symptom disclosure" [29]. Common signs and symptoms of cancer survivors, and survivorship issues related to nursing assessment have not been analyzed to date.…”

Rodgers’ evolutionary concept analysis – a valid method for developing knowledge in nursing science

“…The following criteria were then used to determine inclusion: the article should be no older than 10 years (published between 1999 and 2009); Rodgers’ various phases of concept analysis should be clearly accounted for; the articles’ first author should be a nurse. Accordingly, eight of the 32 articles found during the database search were selected for inclusion in this study as examples of Rodgers’ evolutionary concept analysis (10–17). The chosen articles demonstrate variation as regards concepts analysed from a nursing science perspective during the past 10 years and are presented in Table 1.…”

“…Through analysis, examples (10–17) are brought to consensus regarding a concept’s antecedents, attributes and consequences. This entails that even if references are derived from various disciplines, they are not differentiated between during the presentation of results.…”