Does basic information concerning nutrition improve the information needs of breast cancer patients? An evaluation

Sophie E Groß,Nadine Scholten,Holger Pfaff,Doreen Weidner,Natalia Cecon,Carmen Strauch

doi:10.1007/s00520-020-05385-1

Abstract

PurposeInternational and national studies have shown unmet information needs regarding nutrition in breast cancer patients. An intervention study has examined the question of the extent to which a fact sheet on the topic of nutrition is suitable to cover the need for information of breast cancer patients.MethodThe fact sheet with basic information on nutrition was distributed in 21 intervention breast care centres in 2017. The use of the fact sheets was evaluated in a quasi-experimental design as part of the annual breast cancer patients’ survey of the University of Cologne. The breast cancer patients considered were being treated with primary breast carcinoma in a hospital in North Rhine-Westphalia. A multilevel analysis was carried out in order to quantify the effect of the intervention.ResultsUnmet information needs are experienced more by younger and non-native German-speaking patients. With regard to education, patients without a graduation and a high grade of education express more unmet information needs. The multilevel analysis showed that patients who were treated at an intervention site and therefore possibly received the fact sheet have a significantly higher chance of their information needs being met (OR = 1.45; p ≤ 0.05).ConclusionThe intervention study showed that a fact sheet with basic information on nutrition is a possible instrument to satisfy the information needs of breast cancer patients and therefore reduce unmet information needs regarding nutrition. This intervention study is a pragmatic example on how to reduce unmet information needs among breast cancer patients in Germany.

Highlights

Following Schlegel et al, patients’ information needs are defined as a conscious expression, which can be verbal or nonverbal, of a desire for knowledge to answer clinical questions within patient care [1]
Receiving the fact sheet with basic nutritional information leads to a significant reduction in information needs regarding nutrition experienced by breast cancer patients who are being treated in a breast cancer centre in North RhineWestphalia
The analysis showed that possibly receiving the fact sheet with basic nutritional information leads to a significantly higher chance of information needs being met in breast cancer patients being treated in a breast care centre in North RhineWestphalia

Summary

Introduction

Following Schlegel et al, patients’ information needs are defined as a conscious expression, which can be verbal or nonverbal, of a desire for knowledge to answer clinical questions within patient care [1]. Various differences have been reported, such as those between religious beliefs, age, whether they care for themselves alone, household income, educational level, time since cancer diagnosis, differences between men and women, and different needs with regard to the form of the tumour and the course of the disease [2,3,4]. This is relevant when taking into consideration that there seems to be a link between unmet information needs and quality of life [7]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion