"Cancer [people*] face unmet needs. These are needs which lack enough service or support for survivors to achieve optimal well-being. Understanding the needs of cancer survivors can help guide services and support to meet the needs of [people*]."
To complete this study, they asked over 9000 people one question: "Please tell us about any needs you have now as a cancer [person*] that ARE NOT being met to your satisfaction". Only one question. But they could answer how they wanted and then they sorted out all the results.
Here are the answers:
Physical needs: 38.2% needs affecting the body, including pain, symptoms, sexual dysfunction, diet, exercise, and rest.
Physical needs: 38.2% needs affecting the body, including pain, symptoms, sexual dysfunction, diet, exercise, and rest.
Financial problems: 20.3%
Education and information needs: 19.5% needs which were related to unanswered questions and the lack of information about cancer.
Personal control problems: 16.4% related to one's ability to maintain autonomy over one's body. Health care system needs: 15.5%
Access to supplies, medications, and transportation services: 13.8%
Emotional and mental health problems: 13.7% had emotional and mental health problems
Social support needs: 12.7%
Problems with social norms, discrimination, misinformation, and policy: 10%
Communication needs: 8.5%
Problems with their relationship with healthcare workers: 8.25%
Some groups had more than one problem, in fact women with breast cancer had an average of 2.88 unmet needs.
I was glad to see some kind of research into this. I feel that the medical profession takes care of you during diagnosis and treatment and then that's it. You get a 'come back and see me in 6 months'. And the patient is left grasping at straws. So of course there are more needs for the patients. But the bottom line didn't do much for me at all:
"The authors concluded that the needs of cancer [people*] are important and should be researched further."
I'll just hope for more research.
*I can't use the S-word, I find it offensive.
2 comments:
I am very glad to see that there is research on the unmet needs of cancer people. I would definitely want to know if they had a social worker to speak to because I am currently interning at the Veterans Hospital and they have access to the oncology social worker. They can meet with her in person or can call her. So far I have seen her help the Veterans with transportation, education, and emotional support. It’s disheartening that there are so many people with cancer that have unmet needs and I hope when I am working in this field I will be able to decrease that number with the cancer patients I will be working with.
Thanks for sharing!
my moms doctors predictably recommended chemotherapy when she was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer. Just as she was about to begin conventional treatments, her mother called Charlotte Gerson, who convinced her to try alternative therapies instead. Elena took this advice to heart and adopted
a protocol of enzymes, cleanses and coffee enemas – in addition to an
organic vegetarian herb prescribed by doctor allen presley. Five years later, she remains cancer-free with more energy than ever. i will advice you seek counselling from this great man through his mail(allenpresleymed@gmail.com).
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