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Robb A, Brown TL, Durand A, Loiselle CG. Cancer Survivors' Evolving Perceptions of a New Supportive Virtual Program. Curr Oncol 2022; 29:8431-41. [PMID: 36354724 DOI: 10.3390/curroncol29110664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
This qualitative study begins to explore cancer survivors' evolving perceptions of "Focus on the Future," a 6-week supportive virtual program led by trained volunteers and health care professionals. Through purposive sampling, participants (n = 10) enrolled in the program were individually interviewed shortly before attending, mid-way through, and at program completion. Interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was used to develop key elements of program expectations and users' perceptions over time. Three themes transpired from the data: (1) Trustworthiness and timeliness of survivorship information and expert guidance, (2) Normalization of survivors' experiences, and (3) Virtual program delivery issues. Some participants' perceptions remained unchanged from pre-program expectations to post-program completion such as appreciating the efficiency of virtual delivery and "health safe" exchanges given the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast, other perceptions became more polarized including drawbacks related to "more superficial" virtual connections and uneven topic relevance as the program evolved. Program participants appreciated timely information and support from volunteers and experts through virtual means and consecutive weekly sessions. Gauging participants' perceptions across time also offer opportunities to adjust program content and delivery features. Future research should explore key program development strategies to ensure that cancer supportive programs are optimally person-centered, co-designed, and situation-responsive.
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Bourque MA, Loiselle CG. Patients' cancer care perceptions conceptualized through the Cancer Experience Measurement Framework. BMC Health Serv Res 2022; 22:693. [PMID: 35606765 PMCID: PMC9125953 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-022-07946-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research on patients' perceptions of cancer care often documents sub-optimal experiences. Cancer care quality issues include restricted service access, lack of care coordination, gaps in follow-up and "generic" rather than person-centered care. Recent reports underscore that proactively and periodically seeking user feedback is crucial for timely care quality improvement. The present study aimed to analyze and thematically organize a large amount of feedback from patients who had been treated for cancer within the last 6 months. METHODS Randomly selected participants (N = 3,278) from 3 University-affiliated cancer centres in Montreal, Quebec, Canada completed the Ambulatory Oncology Patient Satisfaction Survey (AOPSS) and an open-ended question on their perceptions of the care they received. 692 participants responded to the latter. Guided by the Cancer Experience Measurement Framework (CEMF), their feedback was analyzed using a qualitative thematic approach. RESULTS Cancer care perceptions included sub-themes of care access and coordination, continuity/transition, and perceived appropriateness/personalisation of care. The most salient theme was captured by care access and coordination with 284 comments (44%) directly addressing these issues. The ways in which health care services were structured including setting, schedule, and location were often raised as cause for concerns. Issues surrounding cancer information/education, emotional support, and physical comfort were frequently reported as unmet needs. In addition, limited access to cancer services led patients to seek alternatives such as going to emergency departments and/or private care. CONCLUSIONS These findings are timely as they show that most patients are well aware of quality issues in cancer care and are willing to report candidly on these. Patient feedback also underscore the importance for cancer care institutions to periodically gather patient-reported data so that systems can re-calibrate their service offerings according to these data. Ultimately, patient reports will translate into enhanced quality, personalization, and safer cancer care provision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela A Bourque
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Crandall University, Moncton, Canada
| | - Carmen G Loiselle
- Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
- Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
- Segal Cancer Centre, Jewish General Hospital, Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé Et de Services Sociaux (CIUSSS), 680 Sherbrooke, Centre-Ouest, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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Chênevert D, Brown TL, Pomey MP, Benomar N, Colombat P, Fouquereau E, Loiselle CG. Investigating a Participatory Intervention in Multidisciplinary Cancer Care Teams Using an Integrative Organizational Model: A Study Protocol. Front Psychol 2022; 13:798863. [PMID: 35592179 PMCID: PMC9113022 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.798863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Multidisciplinary teams encounter many challenges that can lead to higher levels of distress and burnout. This trend is acutely prevalent among multidisciplinary cancer care teams who frequently contend with increased task complexity and numbers of patients. Resilience is emerging as a critical resource that may optimize team members’ psychological health and wellbeing, work efficiency, and organizational agility, while reducing burnout. Accordingly, the proposed study aims to implement and evaluate a promising participatory interventional approach that fosters team resilience. Specifically, the effects of the intervention on participating team members will be compared to a control group of non-participating team members. This intervention’s core components include skills training, patient-centered meetings, talking spaces, and an agile problem-solving approach. The proposed study also seeks to determine whether enhanced resilience improves team mental health status and organizational outcomes. A participatory interventional approach will be implemented and assessed at three-time intervals [i.e., pre-intervention deployment (N = 375), 12 months post-deployment (N = 236), and 24 months post-deployment (N = 146)] across five cancer care teams in three Quebec healthcare institutions. A mixed methods design will be used that includes observations, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and self-report questionnaires. Direct observation will document team functioning and structural resources (e.g., meetings, conflict management, and leadership). Semi-structured interviews will explore participants’ experience with activities related to the participatory interventional approach, its perceived benefits and potential challenges. Focus groups will explore participants’ perceptions of their team’s resilience and the effectiveness of the intervention. Questionnaires will assess support, recognition, empowerment, organizational justice, individual resilience, psychological safety, work climate, team resilience, workplace burnout, engagement, quality of work life, wellbeing, and organizational citizenship behaviors, and sociodemographic variables. Moreover, objective measures including absenteeism and staff turnover will be obtained via human resource records. Structural equation modeling will be used to test the study’s hypotheses. The proposed protocol and related findings will provide stakeholders with quantitative and qualitative data concerning a participatory interventional approach to optimize team effectiveness. It will also identify critical factors implicated in favorable organizational outcomes in connection with multidisciplinary cancer care teams. Expected results and future directions are also presented herein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Chênevert
- Department of Human Resources, HEC Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Healthcare Management Hub, HEC Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada.,Unité de Soutien SSA, Université de Sherbrooke, Campus de Longueuil, Longueuil, QC, Canada
| | - Tyler L Brown
- Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Marie-Pascale Pomey
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Management, Evaluation and Health Policy, School of Public Health, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Nadia Benomar
- Healthcare Management Hub, HEC Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Philippe Colombat
- Qualipsy EE 1901, Department of Psychology, Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Evelyne Fouquereau
- Qualipsy EE 1901, Department of Psychology, Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Carmen G Loiselle
- Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Ingram School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Segal Cancer Centre, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Schuit AS, Holtmaat K, van Zwieten V, Aukema EJ, Gransier L, Cuijpers P, Verdonck-de Leeuw IM. Organizing Psycho-Oncological Care for Cancer Patients: The Patient's Perspective. Front Psychol 2021; 12:625117. [PMID: 33967892 PMCID: PMC8100060 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.625117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer patients often suffer from psychological distress during or after cancer treatment, but the use of psycho-oncological care among cancer patients is limited. One of the reasons might be that the way psycho-oncological care is organized, does not fit patients' preferences. This study aimed to obtain detailed insight into cancer patients' preferences regarding the organization of psycho-oncological care. METHODS 18 semi-structured interviews were conducted among cancer patients. Patients completed psycho-oncological treatment between 2015 and 2020 at the psychology department in a general hospital or a center specialized in psychological cancer care in the Netherlands. The interview comprised questions related to preferences regarding the institute where to receive treatment, the psychologist who provides treatment, and the type of treatment, as well as questions related to experienced barriers and facilitators to receive psycho-oncological care. Interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed individually by two coders into key issues and themes. RESULTS Regarding the institute, easy accessibility and prompt availability of psychol-oncological care were considered important. Regarding the psychologist, most participants had a strong preference to be treated by a psychologist specialized in cancer or other somatic diseases. Individual face-to-face therapy was preferred above other types of treatment. Several barriers were mentioned to receive psycho-oncological treatment, among which poor accessibility to psycho-oncological care, lack of knowledge on the possibilities for psycho-oncological treatment, and stigma. Most frequently mentioned facilitators were being assertive to ask for help, having a good relationship with the healthcare professional, and the integration of psycho-oncological support within medical cancer care. CONCLUSION From the patient's perspective, the organization of psycho-oncological care for cancer patients should focus on easy accessibility and availability, delivered by specialized psychologists, and integration in medical cancer care. Online and group therapy are acceptable, but individual face-to-face therapy is preferred. It is warranted to increase awareness on psycho-oncological care targeting both patients and healthcare providers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anouk S. Schuit
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam (CCA), Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Karen Holtmaat
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam (CCA), Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Valesca van Zwieten
- Amsterdam UMC, Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Eline J. Aukema
- Ingeborg Douwes Centrum, Center for Psycho-Oncology, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Lotte Gransier
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, OLVG Hospital, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Pim Cuijpers
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Irma M. Verdonck-de Leeuw
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam (CCA), Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Amsterdam UMC, Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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