Nursing clinicians seeking to implement best practice within their professional speciality should consider some of the issues raised within this article and seek to address these issues by developing strategies to overcome them.
Breast cancer and its treatment in reproductive-age women can reduce fertility and compromise family formation. To learn about women's experiences of fertility-related cancer care we interviewed 10 women (aged 26-45), at least one year postdiagnosis. Thematic analysis revealed that all women, including one who chose to be child-free, valued fertility and motherhood. They reported experiencing varied fertility-related care, from support for fertility preservation to apparent disregard of their fertility concerns. Women's needs were heterogeneous, but all wanted health care providers to communicate fertility options and avoid assumptions about women's fertility desires while working to extend each woman's life.
Objectives: To identify features enhancing the quality of healthcare experiences for women with gestational cancer, and explore the impact of the heterogeneous Australian healthcare system on those experiences. Methods: Semi-structured, qualitative interviews were conducted with women diagnosed with any cancer during pregnancy in the last five years. Recruitment occurred during 2018-2019 via social media and professional, clinical and community networks. Questions related to women's experiences of their healthcare, wellbeing and psychosocial needs. Interviews were analysed thematically.Results: Study participants (n = 23) received treatment in the private sector (n = 10), public sector (n = 8), or both (n = 5). Five interview themes were found: Control over healthcare; Trust in clinicians, hospitals and systems; Coordination of care; An uncommon diagnosis; Holistic, future-oriented care. Women were most likely to have had a positive healthcare experience when (a)care was well-coordinated and adjusted to meet their unique needs/challenges, and (b)women perceived their care went beyond their immediate medical needs and encompassed future psychosocial wellbeing, including preparation for postpartum challenges.
BackgroundYoung women diagnosed with breast cancer may be confronted by many difficult decisions, especially around fertility preservation prior to commencing cancer treatment. The information to be conveyed is complex, and it may be difficult to weigh up the risks and benefits of the different fertility preservation options available. This complexity is compounded by the widespread low levels of literacy and health literacy in Australia, which may result in greater difficulties in understanding available health information and in decision-making.Methods/designA working group of experts have developed a fertility-related online decision aid for a low health literacy population, guided by health literacy principles. The decision aid will be pilot tested with 30 women diagnosed with early breast cancer between 5 years and 6 months previously. To be eligible, at the time of diagnosis, women must be between 18 and 40 years (inclusive), pre-menopausal, have no history of metastatic disease, have not completed their families, be able to give informed consent and have low health literacy. Participants will be asked to reflect back to the time in which they were diagnosed. Participants will complete a questionnaire before and after reviewing the decision aid to determine the feasibility, use and acceptability of the decision aid. The decision aid will be modified accordingly. Participants may also choose to review a previously developed (high literacy) decision aid and provide feedback in comparison to the low health literacy decision aid.DiscussionThis project represents the first study to develop an online fertility decision aid developed from low health literacy models in the context of breast cancer. It is anticipated that the low health literacy decision aid will be useful and acceptable to young women with low health literacy who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and that it will be preferred over the high literacy decision aid.Trial registration
ACTRN12615001364561p
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