Informational needs of women with a recent diagnosis of breast cancer: development and initial testing of a tool

Abstract

This study developed and tested the Toronto Informational Needs Questionnaire-Breast Cancer (TINQ-BC), a questionnaire designed to identify the information which women with a recent diagnosis of breast cancer need to deal with their illness. The 73-item questionnaire had content validity based on findings in the literature and opinions of expert oncology nurses. It was administered to 114 women with a recent diagnosis of breast cancer during chemotherapy (n = 39), radiation therapy (n = 40) or surgery (n = 35). Item analysis determined that 51 items in five subscales should be retained in the questionnaire. The subscales, labelled Disease, Investigative Tests, Treatments, Physical, and Psychosocial had good internal consistency reliabilities with Cronbach's alphas of 0.81 to 0.93. Informational needs of women were high with mean scores over 200 in a possible range of 51-255. Informational needs were greatest in either the Disease or Treatments subscales. Marital status, level of education, and level of income were not related to level of informational need. Younger women had a greater need for information than older women (r = -0.35, P = 0.003). The results suggest that information is important to help women with breast cancer manage their illness. Nurses should give women an opportunity to ask questions and be prepared to give accurate information.

Development and validation of an instrument to measure informational needs of breast cancer patients in Sri Lanka

“…As such, it is an empirical method of determining 'the underlying dimensionality' of a set of variables [12]. Factor analysis suggested by Galloway et al (1997) [5] for the Toronto informational Needs QuestionnaireBreast Cancer (TINQ-BC) was used in the present research.…”

“…In the second step, a consultative meeting was organized at which the same panel grouped the items into different subscales or domains that have been identified from literature survey [5]. Using collective professional experience, items that were thought to be repetitions and culturally inappropriate were removed by consensus.…”

“…A tool to measure informational needs of BC, named as Toronto Informational Needs Questionnaire (TINAQ), has been developed in the European region [5] but none have been developed for Asian Region. Therefore, development of an appropriate instrument to assess informational needs of BC survivors to be used in the Sri Lankan context was considered of paramount importance.…”

Preferences for Pharmacist Counselling in Patients with Breast Cancer: A Discrete Choice Experiment

“…[30][31][32][33] The results of a systematic review show that patients with fulfilled information needs have a better quality of life and less anxiety and depression. 34) Degner et al reported that newly diagnosed breast cancer patients place a high priority on information about chances of cure, spread of the disease, treatment options, family (genetic) risks, and adverse effects.…”

Information Needs of Older Women Faced with a Choice of Primary Endocrine Therapy or Surgery for Early-Stage Breast Cancer: A Literature Review

“…Older cancer patients prefer paced information which is repeated to allow time for assimilation [22], with information provided throughout the treatment pathway as information needs change [14]. Patients' recall is impaired in lifethreatening situations [42,62], and information absorption is hindered when individuals are provided with information they find difficult or unpleasant [62] or when they are overwhelmed by the provision of excessive information in a single consultation [64].…”