Is a new needs assessment tool necessary for head and neck cancer patients?

Abstract

5571 Background: Instruments assessing supportive care needs of cancer patients are limited; and of those available, such as the Supportive Care Needs Survey (SCNS), the instruments are not specifically developed for head and neck cancer patients. A comprehensive needs assessment of cancer patients is necessary to determine appropriate allocation of supportive care resources and to optimize delivery of quality care. We conducted an exploratory study using qualitative methods, as phase two of a three phase project, to define and measure supportive care needs in head and neck cancer patients. Methods: A purposive sample of 9 multidisciplinary health care providers and 20 ambulatory patients with head and neck cancer completed a semi-structured interview exploring supportive care needs. We performed content analysis of interview transcripts using pre-specified categories of need from the literature (psychological, physical, social, informational, health system, and spiritual needs). Results: Mean age of participants was 60 yrs (32–86). Physical needs were the most frequently reported with the majority of responses related to symptom control. Psychological needs ranked second in frequency with most responses related to coping, distress, and body image. Social and spiritual needs were similar in frequency but higher than health system and informational needs. Conclusions: The needs items generated by this qualitative study will be compared to an existing valid and reliable needs assessment instrument (SCNS) to determine if there are any items relevant to head and neck cancer patients not captured by the SCNS. The outcome of these results may indicate the need for a head and neck specific needs assessment scale to be developed. No significant financial relationships to disclose.