IJCM_152A: Assessment of Supportive Care Needs of Breast Cancer Patients and their Caregivers - A Cross Sectional Study at a Tertiary Care Centre, Vadodara

Abstract

Background: Cancer diagnosis can be difficult for the patients as well as their families; who bear a disproportionate amount of caring burden. Research indicates that as patients’ needs rise, so do those of their caregivers. For holistic health care delivery, it is important for service providers to be cognizant of the difficulties faced by both. Objective: 1. To assess the needs of breast cancer patients and their caregivers. 2. To explore the factors associated with needs of the patients and their caregivers 3. To assess the relation between the needs of the patients and their caregivers Methodology: One hundred and fifty dyads of patients and their caregivers were purposely sampled and administered Supportive-Care-Needs-Surveys (SCNS) Short-form34 (SF-34), and SCNS-Partners and Caregivers respectively, by the interviewer in local language. Cronbach a was used to check reliability and median (IQR) scores were calculated for domains in each survey. Univariate analysis was done to identify factors affecting needs, followed by calculation of correlation coefficient between the needs of patients and of their caregivers. Results: All domains in the two scales were acceptable (Cronbacha>0.6) except Patient Care and Support (0.51) and Sexuality (0.19) domains in SCNS-SF34. Highest needs were reported by patients in Physical and Daily Living domain 40.62(31.5-56.5) and by caregivers in Work and Social Security 30.4(25-35.7), and Emotional and Psychological Needs 30.4(21.4- 35.7) domains. Patients’ and caregivers’ needs were significantly associated with patient’s disease status (p< 0.05), and a moderately positive correlation (r (148) = 0.41, p<0.001) was found between their needs. Conclusion: Patients and caregivers both reported unmet needs which were influenced by the patient’s disease status, and caretakers’ needs increased in tandem with patients’ needs. Studies to validate existing scales or create new ones and larger-scale comparable research including the private sector could aid in generalizability.