Department of Liberal Arts, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Sangareddy District, Kandi, Telangana, 502285, India.
School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia.
J Cancer Educ. 2020 Jun;35(3):462-469. doi: 10.1007/s13187-019-1483-4.
Psycho-oncology research in India reveals that family caregivers and oncologists are primary medical decision-makers frequently acting on behalf of the patient. Thus, patients are rarely asked about their wants and needs. This study aimed to understand Indian cancer patients' needs and expectations from their support network. Twenty-six cancer patients participated in semi-structured interviews exploring patients' needs, perceptions of their support network and the type of support they would prefer, and their experiences of receiving this support. The interviews were analyzed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Emergent themes included: (i) role of the oncologist: being the primary medical decision-maker, communicating in a style consistent with patient preferences; (ii) role of the immediate family: being emotionally available, helping with navigating the hospital system, aiding in medical adherence; (iii) role of relatives and friends: giving advice and providing tangible aid and services; and (iv) role of other cancer patients: helping with coping with the illness. The study highlights Indian patients' ability to define their supportive network and assign specific roles to them. The study implies the need to develop communication training programs and peer-to-peer support groups to address patients' unmet communication needs and aid in coping.
印度的心理肿瘤学研究表明，家庭照顾者和肿瘤医生是主要的医疗决策制定者，他们经常代表患者做出决策。因此，很少有患者被询问他们的需求。本研究旨在了解印度癌症患者对其支持网络的需求和期望。26 名癌症患者参与了半结构化访谈，探讨了患者的需求、对其支持网络的看法以及他们更喜欢的支持类型，以及他们接受这些支持的体验。访谈使用解释现象学分析进行分析。出现的主题包括：(i)肿瘤医生的角色：作为主要的医疗决策制定者，以符合患者偏好的方式进行沟通；(ii)直系亲属的角色：情感上的支持，帮助患者应对医院系统，帮助患者坚持治疗；(iii)亲戚和朋友的角色：提供建议和实际援助和服务；(iv)其他癌症患者的角色：帮助患者应对疾病。该研究强调了印度患者能够定义其支持网络并为其分配特定角色的能力。该研究表明，有必要制定沟通培训计划和同伴支持小组，以满足患者未满足的沟通需求并帮助他们应对疾病。
