“…Reading, watching or listening to the story of a person similar to oneself was rated as especially helpful because upcoming decisions and challenges were seen to be highly variable within a disease……”
Section: Resultsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Upcoming decisions and challenges vary within a disease. Reading, watching or listening to the story of a patient similar to oneself was particularly useful because patients could learn from the stories and their decision‐making process . At the end of narrative practice, patients could be aware that they really have some important issues to decide or deal with .…”
Section: Resultsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Patients like to read or see the reasons why people in the story refuse or accept a regimen. The content within the stories facilitates decision making . In patients' opinions, through telling stories to the health‐care professionals, they would gain a better understanding of what the patients went through .…”
Background
In recent years, narrative practice has been applied in clinical settings to address the relational and psychological concerns that occur in tandem with physical illness. It is an emerging strategy to treat patients as individuals with their own stories, rather than purely based on symptoms.
Objective
To synthesize the experience of patients with cancer using narrative practice.
Methods
Following a systematic search strategy, a literature search was conducted to identify qualitative studies on the experience of patients with cancer using narrative practice. Nine databases were searched up to April 2018, which included six English databases and three Chinese databases. A meta‐synthesis was conducted to synthesize the findings of the included studies.
Main Results
Seven studies out of 2894 studies were included in this review. Patients with cancer had different preferences on narrative practices. In terms of the impacts of narrative practice on patients with cancer, six themes were identified, which included ‘(a) reducing the gap between patients and clinicians; (b) healing effect; (c) social connection; (d) facilitating self‐reflection, self‐recognition and self‐realization; (e) risk of negative impacts; and (f) Patients' preference on different approaches of narrative practice’.
Conclusions
Patients with cancer experienced positive effects regarding narrative practice. Although some patients may experience negative effects, narrative practice is a humanized way to provide care for patients with cancer in the clinical settings.
“…Reading, watching or listening to the story of a person similar to oneself was rated as especially helpful because upcoming decisions and challenges were seen to be highly variable within a disease……”
Section: Resultsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Upcoming decisions and challenges vary within a disease. Reading, watching or listening to the story of a patient similar to oneself was particularly useful because patients could learn from the stories and their decision‐making process . At the end of narrative practice, patients could be aware that they really have some important issues to decide or deal with .…”
Section: Resultsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Patients like to read or see the reasons why people in the story refuse or accept a regimen. The content within the stories facilitates decision making . In patients' opinions, through telling stories to the health‐care professionals, they would gain a better understanding of what the patients went through .…”
Background
In recent years, narrative practice has been applied in clinical settings to address the relational and psychological concerns that occur in tandem with physical illness. It is an emerging strategy to treat patients as individuals with their own stories, rather than purely based on symptoms.
Objective
To synthesize the experience of patients with cancer using narrative practice.
Methods
Following a systematic search strategy, a literature search was conducted to identify qualitative studies on the experience of patients with cancer using narrative practice. Nine databases were searched up to April 2018, which included six English databases and three Chinese databases. A meta‐synthesis was conducted to synthesize the findings of the included studies.
Main Results
Seven studies out of 2894 studies were included in this review. Patients with cancer had different preferences on narrative practices. In terms of the impacts of narrative practice on patients with cancer, six themes were identified, which included ‘(a) reducing the gap between patients and clinicians; (b) healing effect; (c) social connection; (d) facilitating self‐reflection, self‐recognition and self‐realization; (e) risk of negative impacts; and (f) Patients' preference on different approaches of narrative practice’.
Conclusions
Patients with cancer experienced positive effects regarding narrative practice. Although some patients may experience negative effects, narrative practice is a humanized way to provide care for patients with cancer in the clinical settings.
“…The unique thing about the present study is that it focuses on how the women used the blogs and not only on how they presented their side-effects and treatments. In a recently published study [14] a major reason for reading blogs is to search for persons with similar experiences. Understanding the experiences of other cancer patients in a similar situation gave the blog readers and bloggers a feeling of hope and confidence.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…so that they would seem quite the same as before. Another way to manage these changes and not hide them or deny them is by sharing feelings as well as videos and photos on the blogs, and being confirmed by others [14]. Thus, they would help others to become gradually familiar with their new body image, and from others' posts and comments they could be encouraged to go on with their lives.…”
Purpose: This qualitative study aims to interpret and describe how young women diagnosed with a breast cancer uses blogs to manage daily life.Methods: 14 blogs written by women diagnosed with breast cancer aged between 25 and 38 years. These blogs were analysed using qualitative thematic analysis.Results: Four themes were identified in the data body illustrating what the women were writing about in their blogs: Experiencing frustration, The fear is bigger than death, Preparing for physical changes, Body and mind are in disharmony. These four themes ended up in a concluding theme: The healing effect of writing a blog.
Conclusion:The young women used writing blogs as a healing activity. The writing was a channel for emotions and thoughts, but was also a way of sharing experiences and supporting each other. Their narratives revealed the impact of breast cancer experiences on their personal, familial and social lives. Reading blogs is an activity that could allow healthcare professionals to better understand these women's life situation and needs.
Implications for practice:Blogs could become a useful tool for healthcare professionals, relatives, patients and the people around them. By reading blogs, not necessarily commenting on or writing them, there will be a better and deeper understanding about the effects of a cancer diagnosis. Using blogs could facilitate the provision of requested and needed health care activities.
Objective: Male breast cancer (MBC) is rare. Information about breast cancer is usually designed for female patients. However, in males this disease and some side effects differ from its female counterpart. Therefore, there is a need for male-specific information. The aim was to assess unmet information needs of (a) MBC patients and (b) health professionals.Methods: Dutch MBC patients (diagnosed between 2011 and 2016 in 21 hospitals), patient advocates and partners were invited to participate in focus groups and/or complete a paper-based questionnaire on information needs. In addition, an online questionnaire on information needs was sent to health professionals involved in MBC patient care.
Results:In three focus groups with MBC patients (N = 12) and partners (N = 2) the following unmet information themes were identified: patients' experiences/photographs, symptoms, (delay of) diagnosis, treatments, side effects, follow-up, psychological impact/coping, genetics and family, research and raising awareness. 77 of 107 MBC patients (72%) completed the questionnaire: most patients lacked information about acute (65%) or late (56%) side effects, particularly sexual side effects.Among health professionals, 110 of 139 (79%) had searched for MBC-related information, specifically: patient information, anti-hormonal therapy, genetic testing, research, and psychosocial issues.Conclusions: Unmet information needs in MBC patients and health professionals were identified. Specific information on MBC should be developed to improve timely diagnosis, quality of life, treatment, and survival. A targeted website is an ideal tool to meet these needs. Therefore, we integrated these results into a user-centered design to develop an informative website, www. mannenmetborstkanker.nl.
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