Marie Curie Hospice Belfast, Marie Curie.
School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast.
Dis Esophagus. 2019 May 1;32(5). doi: 10.1093/dote/doy076.
Esophageal cancer patients and carers report significant levels of psychological distress. Despite this, only a small number of patients and carers engage with existing psychological services. This study aims to explore the perception of esophageal cancer patients, carers, and healthcare professionals (HCPs) of psychological distress and current provision of support, the need for and format of tailored support and barriers to patient/carer engagement. Semistructured interviews were undertaken with n = 14 esophageal cancer patients, carers, and HCPs. Directed content analysis was utilized to code the transcripts according to the preconceived categories as defined by study aim. Participants reported key periods for heightened distress around diagnosis and postsurgery on discharge from hospital. Provision of existing support was not felt to be adequate. A number of patient/carer barriers to engaging with support were identified in addition to HCP barriers. Participants perceived enhanced psychological support as a priority supportive care need with a number of recommendations for tailoring existing support services more adequately to the clinical population. With reports of heightened psychological morbidity yet with few esophageal cancer patients engaging with psychological services, there is an impetus to develop detailed care pathways to facilitate meeting this prioritized support need.
食管癌患者及其照顾者报告存在明显程度的心理困扰。尽管如此，只有少数患者和照顾者会接触现有的心理服务。本研究旨在探讨食管癌患者、照顾者和医疗保健专业人员（HCPs）对心理困扰的认知，以及当前支持的提供情况、个性化支持的需求和形式，以及患者/照顾者参与的障碍。对 n = 14 名食管癌患者、照顾者和 HCPs 进行了半结构化访谈。根据研究目的预先确定的类别，采用定向内容分析法对转录本进行编码。参与者报告了在诊断和手术后出院期间心理困扰加剧的关键时期。他们认为现有的支持提供并不充分。除了 HCP 障碍外，还确定了一些患者/照顾者参与支持的障碍。参与者认为增强心理支持是优先的支持性护理需求，并提出了一些建议，以更充分地根据临床人群调整现有支持服务。尽管报告心理发病率较高，但只有少数食管癌患者接受心理服务，因此有必要制定详细的护理途径，以促进满足这一优先支持需求。
