Supportive Care Needs of Patients With Lung Cancer in Mainland China: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background The diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer necessitate a variety of supportive care needs. To our knowledge, no studies have been conducted that target specifically the supportive care needs of patients with lung cancer in Mainland China. Cross-cultural studies indicate that supportive care needs vary by cultural background. Thus, it is necessary to investigate the supportive care needs of patients with lung cancer in the cultural context of China. Purpose This study aimed to describe the level of supportive care required by patients with lung cancer in China and to examine the relationships between supportive care needs and demographic factors and between supportive care needs and treatment variables. Methods A cross-sectional descriptive study design was adopted. Five hundred fifty-four patients with lung cancer were recruited using a convenience sampling method from inpatient departments in four tertiary teaching hospitals that are affiliated with a medical university in Anhui Province, China. The Nursing Professional Social Support Needs Scale and background information list were used as the data collection instruments. A Wilcoxon rank sum test and a Kruskal–Wallis rank sum test were conducted to examine the differences among the professional supportive care needs of patients of different demographic characteristics and under different treatment conditions. Results Participants self-reported the highest scores in the domain of informational needs (M = 3.67, interquartile range = 1.25). The most common supportive care need was “to be cared for by nurses with skilled venipuncture techniques.” There were significant differences in needs across different genders, age groups, educational levels, and income levels (p < .05). Patients with metastasis and other illnesses had greater supportive care needs in terms of total and subscale scores in Stages III and IV (p < .05). Conclusions Patients with serious diseases and heavy socioeconomic burdens have greater supportive care needs. Therefore, healthcare providers should improve their awareness and expertise to identify the needs of their patients and to provide supportive care to patients with lung cancer. In addition, patients with high supportive care needs should be identified.

Improving Social Support to Increase QoL in Lung Cancer Patients

“…Patients often indicated the need for their relatives to be present during a hospital stay or medical consultation, which should be respected and enabled as much as possible. 11 Cultivating supporters' commitment to medical appointments often improved the treatment experience, especially in patient-physician communication. 14 Patients with lung cancer are a specific group of patients; they struggle with the high level of stigma, they are subjected to, have a higher level of depression and anxiety, and have a lower QoL than patients with other cancers, as well as having a short survival time after diagnosis together with sustained and very burdensome treatment.…”

“…Therefore, healthcare providers should identify a patient's needs and provide as much support as that patient requires. 11 Due to the characteristics of the disease and its treatment, lung cancer patients need a particularly high level of support and therefore it is very important to develop effective supportive care interventions for these patients. 12 Social support has been proven to have a positive impact on the health, mental and cognitive wellbeing and quality of life of the patient and his/her caregiver.…”

“…Cancer Management and Research 2021:13 synchronously from different sources and tailored to each patient individually. 11,16,24 In many cases the diagnosis itself caused shock, disorientation and a sense of helplessness. Patients are exposed to a completely new, unknown situation.…”

“…As the studies showed, patients had a significant need for up-to-date information about their health and treatment results and many of them complained about a lack of informational support. 11,34 The accessibility of medical staff throughout the entire disease was very important in order for the patient to perceive that they were receiving comprehensive care and for them to feel as safe and comfortable as possible.…”

“…As many patients were interested in exercises and activities that would improve the efficiency of their respiratory system, it would be worthwhile to instruct and teach them to improve their self-efficacy and abilities. 11 A very important element of patient care and improving well-being was also the promotion of physical activity and the motivation for patients to change their lifestyle. In our opinion, it may be helpful if not only the doctor mobilises the patient, but also support groups, rehabilitation programmes, special phone applications, and online training videos.…”