Patients' Experience of Communication During Their Course of Treatment in an Oncology Outpatient Clinic: Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Communication between patients and healthcare professionals becomes increasingly important as patients with cancer are primarily treated in outpatient settings, where the time to communicate is brief. There is a need to understand patients' experiences of communication to ensure person-centered communication during treatment. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore how patients experience communication with healthcare professionals during their course of treatment in an oncology outpatient clinic to elucidate how their needs for support are met. METHODS: Data were generated through semistructured qualitative interviews in patients with cancer who received treatment in an oncology outpatient clinic (n = 18). Interpretive description methodology and symbolic interactionism inspired the analytical approach. RESULTS: Three overarching communication categories were generated, namely, verbal practices, relational practices, and nonverbal practices, which reflect distinct characteristics and the quality of the communication. Communication was characterized as being informative, cheerful, and routinized, which the patients found supportive and, contrarily, superficial, task focused, lacking continuity in care, and missing existential dimensions. CONCLUSION: The communication practice in the oncology outpatient clinic especially supported patients in managing their treatment and side effects. However, psychological, social, and existential concerns were rarely addressed, requiring the patient to self-manage these issues in everyday life while living with cancer. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Patients are socialized by verbal and nonverbal communication practices in the outpatient clinic, which influences their expectations of what to talk about during their treatment. Methods are needed to support person-centered communication in outpatient settings, so patient care needs are met more broadly.

Observations of the communication practices between nurses and patients in an oncology outpatient clinic.

PURPOSE: Effective communication in cancer care and treatment is linked to better health outcomes, improved treatment adherence, and improved quality of life for cancer patients. While the characteristics of effective communication have been identified, there is sparse knowledge about the current conditions for providing effective communication especially within the outpatient clinical context, where the majority of cancer patients are currently being treated. This study aimed to explore communication practices between nurses and patients undergoing chemotherapy in an outpatient clinic to gain insight into how patients are supported in this setting. METHODS: Data were collected through 70 h of participant observations of nurse-patient interactions supplemented with ad hoc interviews with nurses in an oncology outpatient clinic. The methodology and data analysis are guided by interpretive description, thematic analysis and symbolic interactionism. RESULTS: Three themes were generated that characterised communication in the outpatient clinic: Treatment-centred communication, efficient communication and spatially-bound communication. While there was good opportunity for patients to learn about treatment and side effects during cancer treatment, psychosocial concerns were rarely addressed. CONCLUSIONS: The outpatient setting influences the type and quality of communication between nurses and patients. Improvement of communication should include not only verbal and written information, but focus on the importance of nonverbal communication in the oncology outpatient clinic. Furthermore, there is a need to make environmental adjustments that can facilitate the opportunity for patients to express their needs and for nurses to respond to them.