Patients informational needs while undergoing brachytherapy for cervical cancer

Abstract

Objective: To identify informational needs of South African women receiving intracavitary brachytherapyfor locally advanced cervical cancer as part of a process to develop guidelines for qualitypatient-centred care.Design: A prospective, qualitative study with a phenomenological approach.Setting: Brachytherapy Unit, Department Oncology, Universitas Hospital, Bloemfontein, SouthAfrica.Participants: Purposive sampling was utilized to recruit patients undergoing brachytherapy forcervical cancer from July to December 2012.Main Outcome Measures: Semi-structured, one-to-one interviews were conducted, guided bya theme list. Audio-recorded interviews were conducted in Sesotho, Afrikaans and English by anunaffiliated, multilingual interviewer. The interviews were transcribed, translated and thematicanalysis performed.Results: Data saturation was achieved having interviewed 28 participants, aged 30-73 years. Fourthemes with sub-themes were identified: (i) informational needs, (ii) patient disposition towardstreatment, (iii) psychological experience and (iv) physical experience. Findings on patients' informationalneeds were the overarching theme and form the focus of this article. These informationalneeds included: providing patients with disease- and treatment-related information in their homelanguage; adequate information concerning possible side-effects, sexual intercourse and pre-treatmentpreparation; and providing patients with informative material as standard procedure.Conclusion: The article has identified women's informational needs providing a focus for patientcentredcare. Providing patients with sufficient and understandable information could lessen feelingsof fear and anxiety towards treatment delivery. Guidelines with a patient-centred approachcould thus be developed to be used as a tool to assist members of multidisciplinary teams in providingquality care to this group of women.