Information Needs of Patients With Breast Cancer Undergoing Treatment in Vietnam and Related Determinants.

BACKGROUND: Patients with cancer who are not well informed often experience dissatisfaction with care, difficulty coping with their disease, and feelings of helplessness. PURPOSE: This study was designed to investigate the information needs of women with breast cancer undergoing treatment in Vietnam and the determinants of these needs. METHODS: One hundred thirty women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer in the National Cancer Hospital in Vietnam enrolled as volunteers in this cross-sectional descriptive correlational study. Self-perceived information needs, body functions, and disease symptoms were surveyed using the Toronto Informational Needs Questionnaire and the 23-item Breast Cancer Module of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer questionnaire, which consists of two (functional and symptom) subscales. Descriptive statistical analyses included t test, analysis of variance, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression. RESULTS: The results revealed participants had high information needs and a negative future perspective. The highest information needs related to potential for recurrence, interpretation of blood test results, treatment side effects, and diet. Future perspective, income level, and educational level were identified as determinants of information needs, explaining 28.2% of the variance in the need for breast cancer information. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This study was the first to use a validated questionnaire to assess information needs in women with breast cancer in Vietnam. Healthcare professionals may refer to the findings of this study when designing and delivering health education programs designed to meet the self-perceived information needs of women with breast cancer in Vietnam.

Corrigendum to "Health Status and the Demand for Healthcare among the Elderly in the Rural Quoc-Oai District of Hanoi in Vietnam".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2017/4830968.].

Health Status and the Demand for Healthcare among the Elderly in the Rural Quoc-Oai District of Hanoi in Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: Vietnam is experiencing an unprecedented demographic transition. Its proportion of elderly people is growing rapidly. OBJECTIVE: This study explored the health status and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of rural elderly Vietnamese and assessed their needs for healthcare services. DESIGN: This study used a survey with stratified proportion sampling and quota assignment. In 2016, data was collected from 713 people in the rural Quoc-Oai district of Hanoi aged 60 or older. RESULTS: The mean age of the respondents was 70.9. Both self-rated health status and functional status decreased with age. Women reported more functional limitations than men. Musculoskeletal disorders were the most frequently reported chronic diseases, followed by hypertension, gastrointestinal diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. Age, self-rated health status, BMIs, and the number of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) were found to be significant determinants of HRQoL, after controlling for socioeconomic effects. More than half the respondents requested more healthcare information, particularly on disease management. CONCLUSIONS: Vietnam's healthcare system is being challenged to make health services easily accessible and meet the growing needs for chronic illness management, risk reduction, promoting healthy lifestyles, and improving the aging population's quality of life.