Encounters with doctors: quantity and quality

Smith, Stuart; Nicol, Kristian; Devereux, J; Cornbleet, M. A.

doi:10.1191/026921699668267830

Cited by 38 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…In a UK study of cancer care, patients each saw between 13 and 97 doctors and expressed a desire for more continuity. 26 The patients in the current study had good personal support networks and valued access to the hospital team. There was considerable emphasis on the skills of the nursing staff in a supporting role.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Receiving bad news: patients with haematological cancer reflect upon their experience

Randall

Wearn

2005

Palliat Med

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The literature on breaking bad news (BBN) tends to focus on professional consensus rather than empirical patient evidence--the 'giver' rather than the 'receiver'. Using semi-structured interviews, this study explores the experiences of patients with haematological cancer as they reflect on the process and content of receiving bad news. Fifteen patients with a diagnosis of leukaemia or lymphoma were recruited through a haematology service during a routine clinical visit, with the decision to participate being made later. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed and analysed using thematic content analysis. Patients place importance on not being rushed during the bad news consultation and the doctor's manner. Receiving bad news was the first step on a journey, not an isolated incident. Doctors were regarded as the best judge of their information needs, with leaflets and written summaries as supplements. Patients had strong preferences about continuity and language use. Displays of empathy were important, but must be genuine. Patients wanted to know about likely emotional reactions and future support. Where patients brought a companion, they found this valuable. Patients concur with much of the content of the guidelines, but place more emphasis on their illness journey, the doctor's ability to adapt to their emotional needs, language used, information leaflets, having a companion and genuinely personalizing the approach. Reflection on these patient-derived factors may help health professionals better serve patients with serious illness.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Receiving bad news: patients with haematological cancer reflect upon their experience

Randall

Wearn

2005

Palliat Med

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“…While most health care professionals are diligent about the need to inform our patients during the initial consultation process, the nature of the interaction remain low in patient centeredness [13]. The chronic nature of cancer means that the nature of the information needs changes overtime [20,25], and yet the tendency to overestimate our patients ability to interpret the implications of clinical changes, to allow the management of medical conditions to dominate the time we spend with our patients, and the multitude of health care professionals involved in the care process [35] are just a few of the factors hindering information exchange.…”

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confidence: 96%

What do patients living with advanced cancer and their carers want to know? – A needs assessment

Wong

Franssen

Szumacher

et al. 2002

Support Care Cancer

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Our primary objective was to determine the content and format that is most suitable for educational events targeting patients and carers who are living with advanced cancer. Secondary objectives included examining the differences in information needs between patients and their carers, and providing an estimate of the rate of participation in educational events targeting such patients and carers. Out-patients receiving palliative radiotherapy at Toronto Sunnybrook Regional Cancer Center and their carers were invited to complete the Advanced Cancer Information Needs Survey. One hundred forty-four respondents participated in the survey. The participants identified the management of pain, fatigue, and home palliative care resources as the areas in which information was most needed. Carers displayed greater interest, and the range of topics in which they continue to seek additional information is wider. Thirty-one percent of respondents said they would participate in an educational event. A 'one-on-one' interview approach and short written materials were the preferred sources of information. Our study examined potential content areas and preferred format for proposed educational events targeting patients and carers living with advanced cancer. We also highlighted the reasons for, and potential limitations of this approach. The investment of future effort in evaluating the impact of 1 on 1 interviews and 'short written materials' on the informational needs of patients and carers living with advanced cancer is warranted.

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“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] Patients with cancer often need to consult many health professionals from multiple settings, leading to fragmented care. At the treatment phase, family physicians may lose track of their patients with cancer, who are usually followed by oncology teams.…”

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confidence: 99%

Family Physician Involvement in Cancer Care Follow-up: The Experience of a Cohort of Patients With Lung Cancer

Aubin¹,

Vézina²,

Verreault³

et al. 2010

The Annals of Family Medicine

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PURPOSE There has been little research describing the involvement of family physicians in the follow-up of patients with cancer, especially during the primary treatment phase. We undertook a prospective longitudinal study of patients with lung cancer to assess their family physician's involvement in their follow-up at the different phases of cancer. METHODSIn 5 hospitals in the province of Quebec, Canada, patients with a recent diagnosis of lung cancer were surveyed every 3 to 6 months, whether they had metastasis or not, for a maximum of 18 months, to assess aspects of their family physician's involvement in cancer care. RESULTSOf the 395 participating patients, 92% had a regular family physician but only 60% had been referred to a specialist by him/her or a colleague for the diagnosis of their lung cancer. A majority of patients identifi ed the oncology team or oncologists as mainly responsible for their cancer care throughout their cancer journey, except at the advanced phase, where a majority attributed this role to their family physician. At baseline, only 16% of patients perceived a shared care pattern between their family physician and oncologists, but this proportion increased with cancer progression. Most patients would have liked their family physician to be more involved in all aspects of cancer care.CONCLUSIONS Although patients perceive that the oncology team is the main party responsible for the follow-up of their lung cancer, they also wish their family physicians to be involved. Better communication and collaboration between family physicians and the oncology team are needed to facilitate shared care in cancer follow-up.

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Encounters with doctors: quantity and quality

Cited by 38 publications

References 6 publications

Receiving bad news: patients with haematological cancer reflect upon their experience

Receiving bad news: patients with haematological cancer reflect upon their experience

What do patients living with advanced cancer and their carers want to know? – A needs assessment

Family Physician Involvement in Cancer Care Follow-up: The Experience of a Cohort of Patients With Lung Cancer

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