Leaflet for health professionals based on patient and family surveys: “Voices of cancer patients and families”

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to identify the needs of patients and their families based on surveys involving patients and bereaved families, and describe the process of producing a survey-based leaflet for health care professionals.Questionnaire surveys were conducted on 550 advanced cancer patients and 632 bereaved families in Hamamatsu, and 337 and 432 responses were collected. Opinions and requests regarding cancer treatment and palliative care were analyzed, and 378 meaning units were collapsed into six categories of requests to health professionals “Share patient and family feelings and support decisions”; “Allow the patient to stay where he/she wants”; “Relieve physical discomfort as much as possible”; “Support to complete what family members want for the patient not to regret”; “Help patient and family have hope”, and; “Reduce concerns about opioids”. A leaflet for health care professionals about what they should take into the considerations was created based on patient and family surveys.