Encounters between medical and lay knowledge in therapeutic patient education. A qualitative study based on an oral chemotherapy program.

OBJECTIVES: The growing number of cancer patients treated with Oral Chemotherapy (OC) at home, is prompting many healthcare centers to develop Therapeutic Patient Education (TPE) programs. This study aimed to 1) describe the different forms of knowledge shared and learned in these programs, and 2) better understand how self-care and psychosocial skills are promoted in the TPE context. METHOD: This study used qualitative data from the French "ONCORAL" program. Data collection was conducted with non-participant observations. The corpus comprised 42 TPE sessions. RESULTS: Analysis highlighted that TPE specifically helps patients' functional health, revealed the medical expectations and social norms that shape the patient's role, and exposed the difficulties faced by the patient when acquiring self-care skills. Self-care skills and psychosocial skills also appeared to be mutually dependent in the context of TPE. CONCLUSION: TPE programs which focus more on developing medical knowledge inevitably give less importance to psychosocial skills. Yet the recognition and promotion of the latter in TPE may lead to positive coping strategies related to medical outcomes, such as adherence. PRACTICE IMPLICATION: Dedicated TPE program objectives for patients undergoing oral chemotherapy should recognize not only the value of medical knowledge but also of lay knowledge.

[Dispensing of oral anticancer drugs by retail pharmacies: professional requirements and recommendations]. / Dispenser des anticancéreux oraux à l'officine. Contraintes professionnelles et pistes d'actions.

Objectives: As a result of organizational and therapeutic progress in the management of cancer, retail pharmacies are faced with numerous challenges in the follow-up of cancer patients. This study was designed to provide a better understanding of the way in which retail pharmacists define their role in the management of cancer patients and to identify actions that would promote more efficient coordination with other oncology professionals.Methods: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with retail pharmacists and data were analysed by thematic analysis.Results: The majority (53%) of retail pharmacists provide patients with explanations concerning their treatments. Participants in this study described in detail patients' questions concerning adverse effects (79%) as well as certain forms of alternative medicine (37%). Difficulties with an impact on patient follow-up were also reported, such as the lack of medical information concerning cancer treatments (21%) and their relationship with the hospital (26%).Conclusion: The availability of information tools shared by all healthcare professionals therefore appears to be essential to address the difficulties of follow-up of cancer patients by retail pharmacists.