Oncology health care professionals’ attitudes to cancer:a professional concern

Abstract

Oncology health care professionals hold negative attitudes towards cancer and changing these attitudes presents a significant challenge. Educational programmes and supportive strategies may alleviate fears and promote a more positive image of cancer. However, such strategies must be based on an understanding of current attitudes towards this phenomenon.

Assessing illness representations of breast cancer

“…Health educators should work to provide more accurate information concerning the nature, prevention, and consequences of breast cancer, publicly presenting current advances in cancer control and treatment, and changing illness stereotypes. Medical professionals [36] and the mass media [37] should become their target as well. Healthcare practitioners should also set the perceptions of anticancer therapeutic regimens and their side effects as targets of their interventions, especially among the noncancer populations [38].…”

The effects of Nurses' Empathy Skills on Attitudes towards Patients with Cancer

“…So, working and communicating with cancer patients is a more challenging [17]. Improvement in empathic skills provides better communication skills of oncology nurses [18].…”

“…The nurses are also aware of the importance of positive effects of positive attitudes towards patients and agree on the necessity of educational programs and supportive strategies to alleviate fears and promote a more positive image towards cancer [16,17]. However, in some of the studies, regardless of gender, profession and clinical experience, a negative attitude was demonstrated [18].…”

Stéréotypes et préjugés à l’égard de personnes atteintes de cancer : étude auprès d’une population générale et de professionnels de santé

“…À cette représentation sociale du cancer correspondent également des stéréotypes et préju-gés vis-à-vis des personnes atteintes d'un cancer qui seraient partagées aussi bien par l'opinion publique, les patients que les professionnels de santé (Corner, 1993 ;Kearney, Miller, Paul, Smith, & Rice, 2003 ;McCaughan & Parahoo, 2000). L'examen de la littérature révèle que le concept de stéréotype est souvent utilisé de manière inappropriée.…”

“…Cette différence pouvant s'expliquer par des niveaux de connaissances différents. Les résultats sur les préjugés et stéréotypes sur le cancer révèlent généralement une absence de différence significative en fonction du genre, de la profession, de l'expérience clinique, ou de la formation spécialisée ou non en oncologie par exemple (e.g., Box & Anderson, 1997 ;Kearney et al, 2003 ;Simon et al, 2011). Les expériences personnelles et professionnelles avec les malades seraient les principaux facteurs déterminants des stéréotypes et préjugés associés aux malades atteints de cancer.…”