Patients' perceptions of communication with the health care team during chemotherapy for the first recurrence of ovarian cancer.

AIM: The aim of this study was to explore what women with recurrent ovarian cancer perceived as important in their communication with the health care team. METHOD: Interviews were conducted with 12 women at the end of chemotherapy treatment at a department of gynecological oncology in central Sweden. The interviews were subjected to qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: The findings stress the importance for the health care team to offer each woman the opportunity for support in becoming familiar with the disease. This theme of becoming familiar with the disease is underpinned by four sub-themes: being acknowledged as a unique person, getting help to make sense of information regarding the disease and its treatment, having the opportunity to be involved and to share responsibility, and feeling confident that medical expertise was adequate. Becoming familiar with the disease was expressed as a process of understanding and assimilating the whole new situation. To achieve familiarity, the women needed help from the health care team to make sense of the information they received. They stressed the importance of being able to influence encounters with health professionals, in accordance with their own perspectives. Being acknowledged as a unique person was a prerequisite to achieve familiarity. Also important to the women was having the opportunity to share responsibility for their care and lives with someone from the health care team. CONCLUSION: Helping women with recurrence of ovarian cancer attain a sense of familiarity with the disease should be an important priority for health care providers.

Important aspects of health care for women with gynecologic cancer.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To describe what women diagnosed with primary gynecologic cancer reported to be important during their interaction with the healthcare system. DESIGN: Qualitative. SETTING: A specialized gynecologic cancer care unit in central Sweden. SAMPLE: 14 women diagnosed with primary gynecologic cancer were recruited. The women had been referred to the specialized care unit for radiation or cytostatic therapy. METHODS: Tape-recorded interviews were transcribed, coded, categorized, and analyzed. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: Primary diagnosed women with cancer and their experience with quality of care during diagnosis and treatment. FINDINGS: Three partly overlapping categories (i.e., optimal care, good communication, and self-image and sexuality) were found to be of central importance in quality of health care. Participants stated that health care should be based on their own perceptions of the need for information and dialogue and how the disease and treatment would affect their health, self-image, and sexuality. Everyday conversations also were very important. CONCLUSIONS: Central importance in health care for the women included both rational and human aspects. The primary need of participants was to achieve a rapid cure, which necessitated health care that was available, competent, and coordinated. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Women with gynecologic cancer should be given individualized information and care to satisfy their individual needs and reinforce their self-image. Nurses have an important role in strengthening women's feelings of hope and supporting them in maintaining as positive a self-image as possible. Information and everyday conversation are of great significance. Sexuality should be an integral part of holistic care; to this end, inclusion of each woman's sexual partner may be helpful when discussions concerning sexuality occur.