Holistic needs assessment following colorectal cancer treatment

Abstract

A diagnosis of colorectal cancer and its subsequent treatment can adversely affect survivors’ quality of life ( Denlinger and Barsevick, 2009 ). Following treatment, cancer survivors may have a range of physical, emotional and spiritual needs—given the growing recognition of these negative sequelae, we must consider how best to ameliorate these and enhance the quality of colorectal cancer survivorship. Undertaking an effective holistic needs assessment (HNA) is one way to ensure that patients’ needs are fully identifed (National Cancer Action Team, 2012). The National Cancer Survivorship Initiative (NCSI, 2012) advocates that HNA should be an essential component of cancer survivors’ care throughout their pathway; it may lead to earlier interventions and diagnosis of consequences of treatment, improved communication and better quality of care. While most cancer nurses would endorse this, the implementation of holistic needs assessment (HNA) into usual after-care support can prove challenging. In this article, Claire Taylor, Roni Cummings and Claire McGilly discuss how one service set out to achieve this, and present some early patient feedback to indicate the merits of doing so.