What Kinds of Care Do New Cancer Patients Need? A One-Year Follow-Up Study of Patients Diagnosed in a Dutch General Hospital

Abstract

Task consensus of professional carers, agreement on patients' needs and quality of life were measured in 51 newly diagnosed cancer patients, in the Netherlands. Data from patients, informal carers, general practitioners and medical specialists were obtained at baseline and 12 months later, At baseline, a substantial amount of consensus between medical specialists and general practitioners was found concerning primary responsibilities for tasks in the domains of assistance of patients and family and giving information. Less consensus was found concerning tasks on patient education. At the initial stage of disease most patients received home care within one week after hospital discharge. During the year, contacts with professional and informal carers decreased. Social support was also available, although the size of the informal network decreased during the year. Only a few measures were directly related to quality of life. Patients whose quality of life improved (n = 5) were faced with less task consensus between general practitioner and medical specialist, had at baseline fewer professional care providers and received more social support than those whose quality of life worsened or remained unchanged (n = 26). After 12 months however, these patients were more satisfied with the care they received from their general practitioner. It is concluded that continuity of care as standard practice of health care providers is difficult to achieve and to maintain in non-acute situations that go on for a considerable length of time.