Improving communication between healthcare providers and cancer patients: A pilot study

Above and beyond: an exploratory study of breast cancer patient accounts of healthcare provider information-giving practices and informational support

“…4,6 Cancer patients often indicate an increased desire to receive informational support from their healthcare providers. 5,6,8 Most patients receive substantial information from their healthcare providers and providing information in itself is a responsibility associated with healthcare providers' jobs or organizational roles. 3,22 That is, healthcare providers have the responsibility to provide patients with the information they need to make informed decisions about their treatment.…”

“…Numerous research studies have indicated that people diagnosed with cancer classify the information that they receive from their healthcare providers as informational support. 4,5,8,15 For example, Nazione et al 5 examined the verbal informational support surgeons provide to breast cancer patients. They operationalized informational support as any suggestion or advice...evaluation of the problem... [and] form of teaching the patient about the problem in an effort to problem solve.…”

“…2 As such, women diagnosed with breast cancer have a need for both quality cancer-related information 3 and social support. [4][5][6][7][8] Healthcare professionals, such as physicians and nurses, often are a primary source of cancer-related information 3 and social support 6 for women di-agnosed with breast cancer. Research has long indicated that people diagnosed with cancer have increased support needs 9 and that healthcare providers often help to meet these support needs.…”

“…Research has long indicated that people diagnosed with cancer have increased support needs 9 and that healthcare providers often help to meet these support needs. 6,8,9 Studies examining the support provided by healthcare professionals have focused on the source of the support (e.g., physician, nurse), the function of the support provided (e.g., informational, emotional), and the health outcomes related to patients' use of support. 6 Cancer is a complex diagnosis and, as such, people diagnosed with cancer receive complex information and experience a greater number of interactions with healthcare providers.…”

“…3 Many research studies have cast cancer-related information provided to patients by providers as a type of social support. 4,5,8 However, limited research has investigated how the manner used to provide cancer-related information leads to patients feeling supported rather than overwhelmed and unsatisfied. 6 That is, much of the research on the informational support provided to those diagnosed with cancer classifies the cancer-related information delivered to patients by healthcare providers as supportive, but does not distinguish whether patients feel the information they received has met their needs as opposed to actually considering it delivered in a supportive manner.…”