Moving forward – developing an information resource for breast cancer patients following hospital based treatment.

Scanlon, K; Reed, L; Fenlon, DR; Wray, J

Abstract

Introduction - following completion of hospital based treatment breast cancer patients often feel isolated and abandoned and report a lack of information and support to address their recovery needs. Feedback from service users at Breast Cancer Care identified a need for a resource at the end of breast cancer treatment. In collaboration with our Service User Research Partnership group we set about designing and delivering this study.
Aims - to develop a resource for breast cancer survivors based on their identified unmet information and support needs and user feedback.
Methods - a qualitative mixed method approach:
Phase1: 2 Focus groups with 12 women at the end of hospital based treatment, telephone interviews of 12 healthcare professionals.
Phase 2: reconvened focus groups and email review of healthcare professionals to critique a prototype resource.
Results - resource content was informed by the conceptual framework developed from interview analysis which identified a process of reconciliation - ‘reflection’, ‘isolation’, ‘loss of self’ and ‘moving forward in life’. Participants wanted a comprehensive resource that could be individually tailored and includes self management strategies Real-life experiences of patients, signposting to other resources and usefulness over time were also considered important.
Conclusion - developing and designing a new patient resource based on user feedback and research has been a novel and exiting experience, and will help to ensure this resource is both relevant and useful to patients. Having SURP (users) involved in each stage of the study has further strengthened the quality of the research and will assist greatly in the dissemination of findings.

Citation

Scanlon, K., Reed, L., Fenlon, D., & Wray, J. Moving forward – developing an information resource for breast cancer patients following hospital based treatment. Presented at COMPASS (cancer scientific meeting), Royal College Physicians Edinburgh

• Presentation Conference Type: Other
• Conference Name: COMPASS (cancer scientific meeting)
• Conference Location: Royal College Physicians Edinburgh
• Deposit Date: May 16, 2011
• Related Public URLs: http://www.compasscollaborative.com/asmedinburgh2011.html
• Additional Information: Event Type : Conference