To become part of the team-patient experiences of participating in decision-making for a new treatment (proton beam therapy).

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to explore patients' experience of participation in the treatment decision of proton beam therapy versus conventional radiotherapy. BACKGROUND: Proton beam therapy (PBT) has become a treatment option for some cancer patients receiving radiotherapy. The decision to give PBT instead of conventional radiotherapy (CRT) needs to be carefully planned together with the patient to ensure that the degree of participation is based on individuals' preferences. There is a knowledge gap of successful approaches to support patients' participation in the decision-making process, which is particularly important when it comes to the situation of having to choose between two treatment options such as PBT and CRT, with similar expected outcomes. METHOD: We conducted a secondary analysis of qualitative data collected from interviews with patients who received PBT for their brain tumor. Transcribed verbatims from interviews with 22 patients were analyzed regarding experiences of participation in the decision-making process leading to PBT. FINDINGS: Participants experienced their participation in the decision-making process to a varying degree, and with individual preferences. Four themes emerged from data: to be a voice that matters, to get control over what will happen, being in the hand of doctors' choice, and feeling selected for treatment. CONCLUSION: A decision for treatment with PBT can be experienced as a privilege but can also cause stress as it might entail practical issues affecting everyday life in a considerable way. For the patient to have confidence in the decision-making process, patients' preferences, expectations, and experiences must be included by the healthcare team. Including the patient in the healthcare team as an equal partner by confirming the person enables and facilitates for patients' voice to be heard and reckoned with. Person-centered care building on a partnership between patients and healthcare professionals should provide the right basis for the decision-making process.

Finding a wider horizon: experiences of being a next-of-kin of a person suffering from colorectal cancer as told after having participated in a psychoeducational program.

AIM: The aim of this study was twofold: first, to describe the experience of being the next-of-kin of a person suffering from colorectal cancer (CRC), and second, to describe how a psychoeducational program (PEP) might contribute to the next-of-kin's life experience. Psychosocial interventions for next-of-kin to cancer patients are effective in improving quality of life issues, although there are conflicting results in previous studies. Most studies have evaluated the effects of PEP for mixed cancer groups but there is little knowledge about how next-of-kin to a person treated for CRC describe their experience of life and their experience of participating in a PEP. METHODS: The study used a qualitative descriptive design. Individual, open-ended interviews with each of the 18 next-of-kin, of persons receiving treatment for CRC, who participated in a PEP. Data were analyzed using content analysis. RESULTS: Based on the experiences described by the next-of-kin to a person treated for CRC, the subtheme; Facing a personal challenge was developed. From their described experiences of participating in a PEP, the subtheme Obtaining New Insights and Perspectives emerged. One main theme was finally identified; Finding a Wider Horizon. The study illuminates the importance of integrating the next-of-kin/family in the colorectal cancer care. CONCLUSION: The findings from this study can be used to plan future interventions for next-of-kin to patients with CRC as it offers possibilities to understand the next-of-kin's situation and experience from participating in a PEP.