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Patients' perspectives on information from physicians during palliative chemotherapy: A qualitative study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 December 2015

Lisa Martinsson ,
Bertil Axelsson  and
Christina Melin-Johansson
Lisa Martinsson*
Affiliation:
Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
Bertil Axelsson
Affiliation:
Department of Radiation Sciences, Unit of Clinical Research Centre–Östersund, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden, and Swedish Register of Palliative Care, Kalmar, Sweden
Christina Melin-Johansson
Affiliation:
Department of Nursing, Mid Sweden University, Östersund, Sweden, and Institute of Health and Care Sciences, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Lisa Martinsson, Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden. E-mail: [email protected].
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Abstract

Objective:

During the course of their disease, patients with cancer receiving palliative chemotherapy receive extensive amounts of information from physicians. The objective of our study was to describe patients' perspectives on the information they received from physicians during palliative chemotherapy with regard to their cancer diagnosis, treatments, prognosis, and future planning.

Method:

A total of 15 semistructured face-to-face interviews with patients who had incurable cancer were conducted, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed with qualitative content analysis.

Results:

Three categories were defined during the analytical process: “having a chronic disease,” “depending on chemotherapy,” and “living with an unpredictable future.”

Significance of results:

Our study demonstrated that patients undergoing palliative chemotherapy perceived that their disease was incurable and chronic, that they were dependent on chemotherapy, and that their future was uncertain. Compared with other studies, the patients in our study seemed to be more aware of their prognosis and the goals of care.

Keywords

CancerChemotherapyCommunicationDisclosurePalliative care
Type
Original Articles
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 14 , Issue 5 , October 2016 , pp. 495 - 502
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

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