Assessment of Unmet Supportive Care Needs in Haematological Cancer Survivors

Theocharis I Konstantinidis,Georgios Kritsotakis,Ourania Govina,Maria Spinthouri,Ariadni Marnelou,Anastasia Ramoutsaki

doi:10.31557/apjcp.2019.20.5.1487

Abstract

Background:Health needs assessment is crucial for the provision of individualized nursing care. However, many patients report a significant number of unmet needs. The aim of the present study was the assessment of self-reported unmet supportive care needs among haematological cancer survivors in Greece.Methods:102 patients (mean age 66.2 years old) diagnosed with haematological cancer were included in a cross-sectional study, conducted in two major Greek public hospitals, between October and December 2016. Patients’ needs were assessed using the ‘Needs Evaluation Questionnaire’ (NEQ). Data analysis was conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences software for Windows. Alfa-level (p-value) selected was 5%, bootstrap techniques were used for 95% CI estimation, χ2 was used for differentiation control and Kuder-Richardson coefficient for reliability score assessment (ρ = 0.922).Results:Patients reported higher needs levels “to receive less commiseration from other people” (48%), “more information about my future condition” (44.1%) and “to feel more useful within my family” (42.2%). In contrast, patients reported lower levels to the needs “to speak with a spiritual advisor” (11.8%), “to have more help with eating, dressing and going to the bathroom” (13.7%) and “better attention from nurses” (18.6%). The mean score of satisfied patients (≥8/10) was 8.9 (SD 1.7). Associations between socio-demographic, hospitalization data and unmet needs groups were identified. The less satisfied patients (<8/10) reported more informational needs about their diagnosis and their future condition (p-value=0.002), about their exams and treatments (p-value=0.001), communicative (p-value <0.001), assistance and treatment (p-value<0.001) and hospital infrastructure (p-value <0.001).Conclusion:Various factors seem to be associated to the prevalent unmet care needs among haematological cancer patients. Establishing NEQ as a routine needs assessment tool could aid health professionals to early identify patients’ needs in a busy clinical setting and implement more individualized and patient-centered quality care.

Highlights

Cancer patients report different levels of unmet needs through the disease trajectory (Bonacchi et al, 2018)
Various factors seem to be associated to the prevalent unmet care needs among haematological cancer patients
From a total of 141 patients that were hospitalized during October and December 2016, a sample of 102 adult haematological cancer patients with leukemia, lymphoma Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s and multiple myeloma agreed to participate in the study

Summary

Introduction

Cancer patients report different levels of unmet needs through the disease trajectory (Bonacchi et al, 2018). Haematological cancer patients are a subgroup of total cancer population characterized by their heterogeneity in terms of diseases, therapy options, outcomes and life expectancy (Howell et al, 2011; Hall et al, 2015) They report many unmet supportive needs related to the stage and type of their disease and therapy side effects (Boland et al, 2014; Boyes et al, 2015; Kim et al, 2017). Other predictors that may affect these needs include gender (Boyes et al, 2015), age (Boyes et al, 2015; Bron et al, 2017), advanced disease (Boland et al, 2014) and local health care services (Molassiotis et al, 2011). Establishing NEQ as a routine needs assessment tool could aid health professionals to early identify patients’ needs in a busy clinical setting and implement more individualized and patient-centered quality care

Objectives

Methods

Conclusion