scholarly journals The Importance of Humour in Oncology: A Survey of Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 350-353
Author(s):  
R. Samant ◽  
K. Balchin ◽  
E. Cisa-Paré ◽  
J. Renaud ◽  
L. Bunch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Interdisciplinary Team ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Men 2 ◽  
Item Questionnaire ◽  
Important Quality ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Radiation Medicine

Background: Humour has long been considered an important coping tool for patients with cancer, but published quantitative data about its significance are limited. The purpose of our study was to survey patients with cancer undergoing radiotherapy regarding their opinions about the use of humour in their care. Methods: An anonymous 35-item questionnaire evaluating the patient experience, including the value of humour, was developed by an interdisciplinary team of health care providers (HCPS) working within the Radiation Medicine program. This anonymous, voluntary, paper-based survey for self-completion required approximately 10 minutes to finish and was administered during the fall of 2018 and the spring of 2019. Results: For the 199 patients who completed the survey [108 women, 89 men (2 respondents did not specify)], median age was 68 years. That group represents approximately 30%–35% of the patients on treatment during the study period. Almost all respondents (86%) indicated that, during their visits to the cancer centre, it was “somewhat important” or “very important” for health care providers (HCPS) to use appropriate humour, and 61% of respondents indicated using humour “frequently” or “always” when dealing with their individual cancers. Most respondents (79%) said that humour decreased anxiety, and 86% indicated that laughing was considered “somewhat important” or “very important.” Approximately 4% of respondents even listed “sense of humour” as being the most important quality that they looked for in their interactions with their HCPS. Conclusions: Cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy clearly view humour as being important for coping and dealing with their disease, and oncology HCPS should routinely consider incorporating the use of appropriate humour into the care that they provide.

scholarly journals Concerns of Patients With Cancer on Accessing Cannabis Products in a State With Restrictive Medical Marijuana Laws: A Survey Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 531-538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinita Singh ◽  
Ali J. Zarrabi ◽  
Kimberly A. Curseen ◽  
Roman Sniecinski ◽  
Justine W. Welsh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Medical Marijuana ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Care Practice ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Medical Marijuana Laws ◽  
Source Of Information

PURPOSE: Several states, particularly in the Southeast, have restrictive medical marijuana laws that permit qualified patients to use specific cannabis products. The majority of these states, however, do not provide avenues for accessing cannabis products such as in-state dispensaries. METHODS: We conducted a survey of patients registered for medical marijuana (low tetrahydrocannabinol [THC] oil cards) in an ambulatory palliative care practice in Georgia (one of the states with restrictive medical marijuana laws). RESULTS: We had a total of 101 responses. Among our sample of patients who use cannabis as part of a state-approved low THC oil program, 56% were male and 64% were older than age 50 years. Advanced cancer was the most common reason (76%) for granting the patients access to a low THC oil card. Although patients reported cannabis products as being extremely helpful for reducing pain, they expressed considerable concerns about the legality issues (64%) and ability to obtain THC (68%). Several respondents were using unapproved formulations of cannabis products. For 48% of the patients, their physician was the source of information regarding marijuana-related products. Furthermore, they believed that their health care providers and family members were supportive of their use of cannabis (62% and 79%, respectively). CONCLUSION: Patients on Georgia’s medical marijuana program are most concerned about the legality of the product and their ability to obtain marijuana-related products. Therefore, we recommend that states with medical marijuana laws should provide safe and reliable access to cannabis products for qualifying patients.

scholarly journals Querying Patients With Cancer About Sexual Health and Sexual and Gender Minority Status: A Qualitative Study of Health-Care Providers

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 418-423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Cathcart-Rake ◽  
Jennifer M. O’Connor ◽  
Jennifer L. Ridgeway ◽  
Carmen Radecki Breitkopf ◽  
Lois J. Mc Guire ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Minority Status ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Gender Minority ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
National Organizations ◽  
Sexual And Gender Minority ◽  
And Gender

Background: Although national organizations advocate that health-care providers ask patients about sexual health and sexual and gender minority status—to learn, for example, about side effects of treatment and to understand patients’ social support—these conversations often do not occur. This study explored health-care providers’ reasons for having/not having these conversations. Methods: This single-institution study recruited health-care providers from medical oncology, hematology, radiation oncology, and gynecology. Face-to-face interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed qualitatively. Results: Three main themes emerged: (1) patient-centric reasons for discussing/not discussing sexual health and sexual and gender minority status (“So I think just the holistic viewpoint is important”); (2) health-care provider–centric reasons for discussing/not discussing these issues (“That’s going to take more time to talk about and to deal with…” or “I was raised orthodox, so this is not something we talk about…”; and (3) reasons that appeared to straddle both of the above themes (eg, acknowledgment of the sometimes taboo nature of these topics). Conclusion: Although many health-care providers favor talking with patients with cancer about sexual health and sexual and gender minority status, limited time, personal reluctance, and the taboo nature of these topics appear at times to hamper the initiation of these conversations.

Chemotherapy Acute Infusion Reactions: A Qualitative Report of the Perspectives of Patients With Cancer

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (11) ◽  
pp. 1384-1389
Author(s):  
David J. Bartlett ◽  
Daniel S. Childs ◽  
Carmen Radecki Breitkopf ◽  
Megan E. Grudem ◽  
Jessica L. Mitchell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Antineoplastic Agents ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Infusion Reaction ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Infusion Reactions

Objective: A growing number of cancer antineoplastic agents can cause life-threatening acute infusion reactions. Because previous studies have not studied these reactions from the perspective of patients, this study was undertaken with that objective in mind. Methods: Patients who had an acute infusion reaction were interviewed based on the Leventhal model. Once saturation of content was achieved, interviews were transcribed and analyzed with qualitative methodology. Results: Twenty-one patients were enrolled. Most were women (n = 15); the median age was 58 years, and paclitaxel was the most common inciting agent. Three themes emerged. First, these reactions are frightening; patients made remarks such as “I was just thinking oh my God, I am dying.” Second, prior education about these reactions seemed to mitigate this fear, “Basically everything the nurses told me potentially could happen, like happened. So, I was prepared.” Third, when health-care providers were prompt and attentive during the reaction, patients described less fear with future chemotherapy, “So no, I’m really not fearful about going in tomorrow because I know they’ll be there and they’ll be watching me.” Conclusion: These reactions evoke fear which can be mitigated with education prior to and with prompt responsiveness during the acute infusion reaction.

Prognosticating futures and the human experience of hope

2007 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 227-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally Thorne ◽  
Valerie Oglov ◽  
Elizabeth-Anne Armstrong ◽  
T. Gregory Hislop
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Chronic Illness ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Human Experience ◽  
Clinical Encounter ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Communication ◽  
Patients With Cancer

Objectives: Communication between health care providers and patients with cancer and other chronic diseases typically references probabilities that certain future events will or will not occur. Beyond the context of diagnostic encounters and the transmission of “bad news,” such “prognostic” communications take place in various forms throughout the illness trajectory. It is well known that such information transmitted badly can have devastating psychosocial consequences for patients and their families and, conversely, that difficult information exchanged with sensitivity can lend tremendous support. This study aimed to extend our understanding of how such communications are received and interpreted by patients, so that we might optimally apply what we know about general principles of effective communication within the particularly challenging context of predicting futures.Methods: We conducted a combined secondary analysis of two prior qualitative studies into patient perceptions of helpful and unhelpful health care communication with 200 cancer patients and 30 persons with chronic illness. These data sets offered a rich resource for comparing perceptions across a range of contextual variables, and secondary analysis focused on future-oriented interactions, including both prognostication and prediction.Results: The accounts of patients with cancer and chronic illness reveal various ways in which health care communications involving future projections interact with their human experience of hope, powerfully shaping their capacity to make sense of and live with serious illness. They include a synthesis of what patients recommend health care professionals know and understand about this challenging dynamic.Significance of results: The findings of this study offer a distinct angle of vision onto the various communications that involve future predictions, illuminating a patient perspective with the potential to inform health care communication approaches that are both informative and therapeutic. As such, the study supports a dynamic understanding of the tenuous balance between hope and honesty in the clinical encounter.

scholarly journals Developing an Indonesian fertility preservation questionnaire for health care providers treating patients with cancer: A preliminary pilot study

F1000Research ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 1890
Author(s):  
Achmad Kemal Harzif ◽  
Raymond Surya ◽  
Mila Maidarti ◽  
Ana Mariana ◽  
Bara Tracy Lovita ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Fertility Preservation ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Expert Panel ◽  
World Health ◽  
Cognitive Interviewing ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Forward Translation

Background: Early detection and advanced treatment increases the five-year survival rate of patients with cancer. However, long-term cancer therapy, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, can have negative effects, such as infertility. This study aimed to develop a standardized Indonesian questionnaire, which would be used to assess the quality of health care providers’ knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding fertility preservation in patients with cancer. Methods: A pilot study was performed in January and February 2018 at Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia. An existing questionnaire was translated from English to Indonesian using forward translation, back translation, expert panel, pretesting, and cognitive interviewing. Ten subspecialists in the following departments made up an expert panel, who were involved in pretesting and cognitive interviewing: pediatric hematology-oncology, hematology-oncology/internal medicine, gynecologic oncology, gynecologic immune-endocrinology, radiology-oncology, and surgical oncology. Results: The questionnaire was successfully translated. The ten respondents stated that the maximum age for women’s fertility preservation is 40 years of age (60%), 45 years of age (30%), or had no maximum age (10%). Additionally, the respondents stated that the maximum age for men’s fertility preservation is 40 years of age (30%), 50 years of age (20%), or had no maximum age (50%). The respondents’ knowledge stated that > 50% of them were aware but do not know enough about fertility preservation. The respondents stated that more than 50% of them give feedback agreeing to fertility preservation, and they always give advice about fertility preservation to their patients. Conclusion: The translation of the questionnaire followed translation steps from the World Health Organization and was adjusted based on the expert panel’s comments concerning fertility preservation. This validated questionnaire tool in Indonesian can be used for research purposes and clinical evaluation of fertility preservation among health care providers in Indonesia.

scholarly journals Parents’ perception of the school nurse’s role

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 064-067
Author(s):  
Gillooly Diane ◽  
Mahat Ganga ◽  
Paradiso Patricia
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Essential Role ◽  
First Aid ◽  
School Nurses ◽  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
Coordination Of Care ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Item Questionnaire

Background: School nurses possess an essential role in treating and helping children maintain health. However, the full scope of their role has not been identified by parents. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore parents’ perceptions of the role of the school nurse. Methods: Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. One hundred eighty parents participated in the study. The perception of the roles of school nurses was assessed by a 16-item questionnaire, which was adapted from a study by Kirchofer, et al. 2007. Results: The four most important school nurses’ roles perceived by the parents were providing first aid and emergency care to children, communicating with parents and health care providers in the presence of a problem, providing medical treatment, and preventing and controlling diseases. Conclusion: School nurses have many important roles, and while parents identified some essential roles, they did not recognize other vital roles as being very important. Increasing awareness of school nurses’ multifaceted roles among parents is essential so that they can utilize nurses’ expertise in maintaining their student’s health as well as tap into a key resource in the coordination of care for their child.

scholarly journals Adolescent Contraceptives

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (08) ◽  
pp. 470-473
Author(s):  
Shaikh Zinnat Ara Nasreen ◽  
Sabereen Huq ◽  
Saleheen Huq ◽  
Safinaz Shahreen
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Health Care Team ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Global Consensus ◽  
Global Challenge ◽  
Political Motivation ◽  
Adolescent Pregnancies ◽  
Almost All

Adolescents contraceptive need to be the top most priority in the national policy to prevent the adolescent pregnancies and it’s adverse consequences. All the countries of the world should have their own national strategy liaison with global consensus regarding the Adolescent contraceptives. Global challenge is to tackle the adolescents Pregnancy. Contraceptives use is the answer. So adolescents should be the centrals to everything we want to achieve, and to the overall success of the 2030 SDG Agenda. Without Contraceptive “SDG achievement” is not possible. About 21 million 15-19 year old girls in developing countries become pregnant every year. Half of these pregnancies (49%) are unintended. If we are successful to implement contraceptives among the youngsters, adolescent’s pregnancy complications can be eliminated. But again this needs strong political motivation and hard work of health care providers. Health care team should design and deliver a Confidential, personalized, adolescent’s friendly service taking into account adolescent's psychosocial & sexual needs. Almost all methods of contraceptives are suitable for adolescents except few. After taking a comprehensive medical history & assessing risk factors counselling should be done for risks & benefits. Good & sensible communication with women, their husband or partner is important. It remains a critical aspect in empowering adolescents to make informed choices and only then adolescents will use contraceptives wholeheartedly.

scholarly journals To Covid-19, Not Involved yet Worst Hit! Sincerely, Dentistry

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Harneet Kaur
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Dental Health ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Dental Health Care ◽  
Almost All

Through the spread of unfathomable SARS-CoV-2, you have dwelled a global upheaval in almost all realms of life, with dental health care providers at the highest risk of contracting and transmitting the virus .

scholarly journals Teaching Health-Care Providers to Query Patients With Cancer About Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) Status and Sexual Health

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 533-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth J. Cathcart-Rake ◽  
Carmen Radecki Breitkopf ◽  
Judith Kaur ◽  
Jennifer O’Connor ◽  
Jennifer L. Ridgeway ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
End Of Life ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Position Statement ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Related Data ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
And Gender ◽  
American Society

End of life is difficult for all patients but sexual and gender minorities (SGM) are prone to isolation and loneliness, especially if their SGM status is unknown or unaccepted. In oncology clinics, where goals of care discussions about end of life are integral and frequent, querying patients about their SGM status and sexual health is of particular importance. The American Society of Clinical Oncology recently released a position statement that called for greater focus on SGM populations with the goal of reducing and eventually eliminating disparities in cancer care within this group. An important first step in addressing such disparities is learning how best to train cancer health-care providers to ask patients about their SGM status and about sexual health in general. This article summarizes the mandate for understanding cancer issues in SGM populations and the dearth of cancer-related data within this group. This article also describes an ongoing 3-part study intended to build a mini curriculum with the goal of helping cancer health-care providers to ask patients with cancer about SGM status and to ask all patients with cancer about sexual health issues. The results of this ongoing study could potentially improve end-of-life care for subgroups of patients.

scholarly journals HERBAL MEDICINES QUESTIONNAIRE AND EVALUATION OF ATTITUDE, PERCEPTIONS AND SELF-USE AMONG HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS IN RAK, UAE: PILOT STUDY

2019 ◽  
pp. 86-90
Author(s):  
AMAD M. AL-AZZAWI ◽  
NEHAD MEHDI ◽  
ALYAA G. AL-JUBOORI ◽  
ANAM EJAZ ◽  
HANEEN ALI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Herbal Medicine ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Herbal Medicines ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Item Questionnaire

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the perceptions of different healthcare professionals towards HM. Methods: The 16-item questionnaire on the belief of health care professionals in herbal medicine was designed by the interdisciplinary task force. Eligible participants were health care providers who were English-and Arabic-literate. The response rate was 78% of participants (781 of 1000) were respondents. In total, 553 out of 781 (71%) participants indicated that they had previously used herbal medicines. The remaining 228 participants did not believe in herbal medicine due to lack of scientific evidence, ineffectiveness and other reasons. Results: The findings of this study indicate that health care professionals including pharmacists believe they have a responsibility to provide information on HM to their patients. However, the current consensus among the respondents is that current HM-focused knowledge is inadequate for such an application. Conclusion: Health care professionals believe in using HM for their needs and have a responsibility to provide information on HM to their patients.

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