Faculty of Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
Epworth HealthCare, Victoria, Australia.
Psychooncology. 2018 Jun;27(6):1650-1655. doi: 10.1002/pon.4722. Epub 2018 Apr 20.
Informal carers experience a variety of information and support needs when providing care to someone with cancer. It is unclear when carers seek information and what resources they access to support themselves throughout the cancer trajectory.
A sample of 45 carers and 15 oncology nurses were recruited to participate in either focus groups or phone interviews.
Carers in the study were more likely to be women (60%), caring for a spouse or partner (64.4%), living with the patient (86.7%), and hold a university degree (46.7%). The majority of oncology nurses were females (66.6%). Findings showed that carers had limited access to adequate information as needs arose. Supports used to address information needs included information booklets, the Internet, and communication with healthcare professionals or with other carers. Barriers in communication between nurses and carers impacted on the adequacy of information received. Participants reported that technology, such as smartphone applications, might be appropriate for improving information and support needs.
Caring for someone with cancer is multifaceted. Carers need access to timely information to help them effectively manage patients' needs. Future studies should assess the role of contemporary approaches, such as digital technology, as a solution to the delivery of information and support for carers of people with cancer.
在照顾癌症患者时，非正式护理人员会遇到各种信息和支持需求。目前尚不清楚护理人员何时寻求信息，以及他们在癌症治疗过程中会利用哪些资源来支持自己。
招募了 45 名护理人员和 15 名肿瘤护士参加焦点小组或电话访谈。
研究中的护理人员更有可能是女性（60%），照顾配偶或伴侣（64.4%），与患者同住（86.7%），并拥有大学学位（46.7%）。大多数肿瘤护士是女性（66.6%）。研究结果表明，护理人员在出现需求时，获得足够信息的机会有限。用于满足信息需求的支持措施包括信息手册、互联网以及与医疗保健专业人员或其他护理人员的沟通。护士与护理人员之间沟通方面的障碍会影响到他们获得信息的充分性。参与者报告说，智能手机应用等技术可能适合改善信息和支持需求。
照顾癌症患者是多方面的。护理人员需要及时获取信息，以帮助他们有效地管理患者的需求。未来的研究应评估当代方法（如数字技术）在为癌症患者的护理人员提供信息和支持方面的作用。
