scholarly journals Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of A Standard Factsheet

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chloe Yi Shing Lim ◽  
Sharon He ◽  
Joanne Shaw ◽  
Haryana M Dhillon
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Health Beliefs ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Stepped Care ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Framework Approach ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Purpose: To understand the impact of cancer survivors accessing a standard factsheet regarding cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI), publicly available to the Australian public via Cancer Council Australia’s websites. Methods: Twenty-three cancer survivors completed a questionnaire assessing pre-factsheet knowledge of CRCI. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore participants’ experiences of CRCI and perceptions of the factsheet. Interviews were analysed via thematic analysis using a framework approach. Finally, participants completed another questionnaire assessing post-factsheet change in knowledge of CRCI.Results: Pre- and post-factsheet questionnaire change scores indicated increased knowledge and greater confidence about CRCI. Interview data resulted in five themes: generally positive perceptions of the factsheet’s layout and wording; survivors, regardless of treatments received, experienced CRCI symptoms, with some having strong negative emotional responses to their symptoms; perceptions of the factsheet’s strategies to manage CRCI ranged from relevant and useful, to impractical or unrealistic if symptoms were too severe; interactions with healthcare system influenced survivors’ perceptions of help-seeking, with negative healthcare experiences a major barrier; and, generally positive impacts of the factsheet, with survivors praising the factsheet’s ability to validate the CRCI experience, increase CRCI knowledge, influence health beliefs, and prompt help-seeking.Conclusion: The factsheet presentation and wording were acceptable to participants. Its ability to normalise and raise awareness for CRCI validated participants’ symptoms. The factsheet’s potential as a first-line intervention in a stepped-care approach was identified, with participants finding the suggested self-management strategies practical. The factsheet may overcome barriers to self-reporting by encouraging patients to talk with HCPs about CRCI.

scholarly journals The impact of cognitive impairment on self‐regulatory styles in breast cancer survivors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline H. Becker ◽  
Charlotte Ezratty ◽  
Nusrat Jahan ◽  
Mita Goel ◽  
Yael Tobi Harris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Breast Cancer Survivors ◽  
Regulatory Styles ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Exploring Professional Circus Artists’ Experience of Performance-Related Injury and Management: A Qualitative Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-24
Author(s):  
Timothée Cayrol ◽  
Emma Godfrey ◽  
Jerry Draper-Rodi ◽  
Lindsay Bearne
Keyword(s):  
Help Seeking ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Injury Management ◽  
Psychosocial Consequences ◽  
Qualitative Interview Study ◽  
Data Saturation

AIMS: Circus is a physically demanding profession, but injury and help-seeking rates tend to be low. This qualitative interview study explored the perceptions and beliefs about injury and help-seeking of circus artists. METHODS: Ten professional circus artists (5 males, 5 females; mean age 33 yrs, range 27–42) were enrolled. Individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted until data saturation of themes was reached. Data were analysed thematically. FINDINGS: Four themes were identified: 1) the injured artist; 2) professionalism; 3) circus life; and 4) artists’ experience of healthcare. Most participants described the circus as central to their lives, and injuries had wide-ranging psychosocial consequences. Injury adversely affected participants’ mood and threatened their identity. Situational and personal factors (e.g., the belief that pain was normal) pushed participants to use adaptive strategies to perform when injured. Continuous touring and financial constraints affected help-seeking. Easy access to healthcare was rare and participants often self-managed injuries. Experiences of healthcare varied, and participants desired flexible and accessible approaches to prevention and injury management. A modified version of the integrated model of psychological response to injury and rehabilitation process and the concept of identity provided a framework to understand participants. CONCLUSION: Injuries had extensive negative consequences. Work schedules, financial factors, employer support, the artist’s perception of the importance of the show, and the relationship between circus and identity influenced injury management and help-seeking. Injury prevention and management strategies could be optimised by developing centres of expertise, online resources, and better regulations of the profession.

Cancer survivorship algorithms as clinical tools for primary care providers.

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 100-100
Author(s):  
Guadalupe R. Palos ◽  
Katherine Ramsey Gilmore ◽  
Paula A. Lewis-Patterson ◽  
Maria Alma Rodriguez
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Cancer Survivorship ◽  
Primary Care Providers ◽  
Cell Transplant ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Coordinated Care ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
The Impact

100 Background: Clinical decision tools (CDTs) such as survivorship algorithms may be valuable resources for primary care providers who provide post-treatment care for cancer survivors. Our objective was to assess providers’ perceptions, adoption, and satisfaction with clinical practice algorithms tailored to site-specific cancer survivorship clinics. Methods: Eligible providers were those assigned to one of 9 site-specific survivorship clinics, (breast, colorectal, genitourinary, gynecology, head and neck, lymphoma, melanoma, stem cell transplant, and thyroid). Potential respondents were invited to participate by emails. Voluntary return of the survey indicated a provider’s informed consent. Providers had the choice to participate by clicking on a link embedded in an email. Once the link was activated, the user was taken to a 10-item survey with questions asking about the usability, awareness, and satisfaction with the algorithms specific to their clinic. Descriptive statistics (i.e. frequencies and percentages) were used to summarize the responses. Results: Of 35 providers assigned in the survivorship clinics, 18 responded resulting in a 51% response rate. The majority of respondents (94.4%) were aware of the survivorship algorithms specific to their clinic. Over 75% reported using the algorithms occasionally (16.7%), frequently (33%) and always (33.3%). The major barrier to using the algorithms was a lack of awareness on to access the algorithms. Over half of the providers (55.6%) preferred using the digital versions of the algorithms. 68% strongly agreed the algorithms were practical to use and implement in their clinical setting. The majority of providers’ reported being satisfied (62.5%) or very satisfied (25.0%) with the algorithms tailored to their site specific clinic. Conclusions: Survivorship practice algorithms were perceived as useful clinical resources to deliver coordinated care to cancer survivors with diverse cancer diagnoses. Future work is needed to determine the impact of the algorithms on providers’ practice with cancer survivors.

scholarly journals What influences decisions about ongoing stroke rehabilitation for patients with pre-existing dementia or cognitive impairment: a qualitative study?

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (8) ◽  
pp. 1133-1144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Verity Longley ◽  
Sarah Peters ◽  
Caroline Swarbrick ◽  
Audrey Bowen
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Stroke Rehabilitation ◽  
Clinical Pathways ◽  
Current Model ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Rehabilitation Potential ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact

Objective: To identify factors influencing clinicians decision-making about ongoing stroke rehabilitation for people with pre-existing dementia/cognitive impairment and the impact on clinical practice. Design: Qualitative semi-structured interviews with stroke specialist healthcare professionals analysed using thematic analysis. Setting: Acute stroke unit, inpatient stroke rehabilitation units, and community stroke services. Participants: Twenty three professionals from six multidisciplinary stroke teams involved in decision-making about stroke patients’ rehabilitation potential and clinical pathways. Results: Factors influencing decision-making about ongoing rehabilitation were (1) gaining understanding of the individual patient, (2) clinician’s knowledge of dementia/cognitive impairment, (3) predicting rehabilitation potential, (4) organizational constraints, and (5) clinician’s perceptions of their role within the team. Decision-making led to two outcomes, either accommodating the pre-existing dementia/cognitive impairment within delivery of rehabilitation or ending rehabilitation for that patient to allocate limited resources where they were perceived more likely to be effective. Participants felt that patients with pre-existing dementia/cognitive impairment had difficulty demonstrating the required rehabilitation potential within the short timescales available in the current model of service delivery. Participants identified a need for training to improve their knowledge and confidence for decision-making and delivery of rehabilitation for this growing population. Conclusion: Clinicians’ decision-making about ongoing rehabilitation for patients with prestroke dementia/cognitive impairments is influenced by gaps in their knowledge and by service constraints. Increased training and more flexible, patient-centred services would enable clinicians to better accommodate these patients in rehabilitation.

scholarly journals How do older adults understand and manage distress? A qualitative study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Moult ◽  
Tom Kingstone ◽  
Carolyn Chew-Graham
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Older People ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Ethical Review ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Community Groups

Abstract Background Anxiety and depression are prevalent in older adults, however, older people may be reluctant to seek medical help and may manage their own mood problems. Due to stigma, older adults are more likely to perceive and/ or recognise their mood problems as distress. Whilst previous literature has focused on how younger adults self-manage mood problems, little research has explored how older people self-manage distress. The study reported here seeks to address this gap through qualitative methods. Methods This study was approved by Keele University’s ethical review panel. Older adults who self-identified as distressed, depressed or anxious within the previous 12 months were recruited from community groups in North Staffordshire, England. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews and analysed thematically using constant comparison methods. A public and patient involvement and engagement group contributed to development of the research questions and methods, and offered their perspectives on the findings. Results Data saturation was achieved after 18 interviews. Key themes were: experiences of distress, actions taken, help-seeking from healthcare services and perceptions of treatments offered in primary care. Various forms of loss contributed to participants’ distress. Participants initiated their own self-management strategies which included: pursuing independent activities, seeking social support and attending community groups and church. Five participants reported having consulted a GP when distressed but described a lack of acceptable treatments offered. Conclusions To support older adults who are distressed, primary care healthcare professionals need to explore patients’ existing ways of managing mood problems, provide information about a range of management options and consider the use of sign-posting older adults to community resources.

The influence of fatalistic beliefs on health beliefs among diabetics in Khartoum, Sudan: a comparison between Coptic Christians and Sunni Muslims

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 15-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dana Hag Hamed ◽  
Marguerite Daniel
Keyword(s):  
Free Will ◽  
Health Beliefs ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Concept Of God ◽  
Health Responsibility ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
And Coping ◽  
The Impact

Although there are many studies assessing the influence of religious beliefs on health they do not agree on whether the impact is positive or negative. More so, there is no consensus in the available literature on the definition of fatalism and what it means to individuals. In this phenomenological study we attempt to define what religious fatalism means to people living with diabetes in Khartoum, and how it affects their health beliefs, and how those beliefs affect their sense of coherence and generalized resistance resources, since salutogenesis is the guiding theory in this study. Three Copts and five Sunnis living with diabetes were interviewed, as well as a Coptic clergyman and a Sunni scholar. The semi-structured interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim for analysis. Thematic network analysis was used to code salient concepts into basic themes, organizing themes and global themes. The empirical findings are thus structured as the three global themes: (1) fatalism and free will; (2) health responsibility; (3) acceptance and coping. Fatalism was defined as events beyond an individual’s control where it is then the individual’s free will to seek healthy behavior. Thus health responsibility was stressed upon by the participants in this study as well as the clergyman and scholar. There is also the concept of ‘God doesn’t give one what one cannot handle’ that the participants relate to coping and acceptance. This study finds that the meaning of religious fatalism held by participants and religious clergy is not disempowering. The participants believe that they are responsible for their health. The meaning derived from fatalism is related to how they can accept what is beyond their control and cope with their health condition. Religious fatalism contributed to comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness in our participants’ response to diabetes.

scholarly journals Health Beliefs, Health Anxiety, and Diagnostic Type in Food Hypersensitivity in Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 77-87
Author(s):  
Melissa Goble ◽  
Judith Eberhardt ◽  
Paul van Schaik
Keyword(s):  
Health Beliefs ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Health Anxiety ◽  
Health Belief ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression ◽  
Food Hypersensitivity ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Perceived Severity ◽  
Belief Model

Abstract. Background: Food hypersensitivity is often self-diagnosed, and research into barriers to help-seeking is scarce. Aims: This study in the United Kingdom sought to establish the relationship between health beliefs, health anxiety, and diagnostic type (medically diagnosed vs. self-diagnosed) in individuals with food hypersensitivity, and qualitatively explored attitudes of self-diagnosed individuals and their barriers to attaining a medical diagnosis. Method: A mixed-methods design involving 107 participants with food hypersensitivity (64 medically diagnosed and 43 self-diagnosed). Participants completed an adapted version of the health belief model questionnaire and a health anxiety questionnaire. A subset of six self-diagnosed participants took part in semi-structured interviews. Results: Binary logistic regression showed that health anxiety, perceived susceptibility, and perceived severity were significantly associated with diagnostic type. Qualitative thematic analysis of interviews yielded three themes: control over food, diagnosis, and treatment; judgment regarding feeling judged negatively on one’s choice of food, and being compared to fad-dieters; and the public’s and participants’ own lack of perceived severity of food hypersensitivity. Limitation: The sample was self-selected and therefore not necessarily representative of the population; however, an adult population was examined in an area that has so far largely studied children. Conclusion: Health psychologists should become involved in developing and testing interventions to help those with food hypersensitivity to control and reduce distress. Further researching the issues of control, judgment, and perceived severity could help tackle barriers to help-seeking behavior.

scholarly journals Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neurotoxicity in Cancer Survivors: Predictors of Long-Term Patient Outcomes

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 821-828
Author(s):  
Eva Battaglini ◽  
David Goldstein ◽  
Peter Grimison ◽  
Susan McCullough ◽  
Phil Mendoza-Jones ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Symptom Burden ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Peripheral Neurotoxicity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Burning Pain ◽  
The Impact

Background: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotoxicity (CIPN) is a major adverse effect of cancer treatment. However, its impact remains poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the impact associated with CIPN on the lives of cancer survivors. Patients and Methods: A volunteer sample of 986 individuals who had received neurotoxic chemotherapy completed an anonymous, cross-sectional survey. Outcomes assessed included CIPN symptoms, pain, neuropathic pain, quality of life (QoL), physical activity, and comorbid health conditions via the Self-Administered Comorbidity Questionnaire. Results: Respondents had a mean age of 58 years (SD, 10.7), and 83.2% were female. Most were treated for breast (58.9%) or colorectal cancer (13.5%); had received docetaxel (32.7%), paclitaxel (31.6%), or oxaliplatin (12.5%); and had completed treatment 3.6 ± 3.5 years previously. We found that 76.5% of respondents reported current CIPN. Respondents reporting severe CIPN had poorer QoL, more comorbidities, and higher body mass index, and more often received multiple neurotoxic chemotherapies than those with mild CIPN. Respondents who completed the survey ≤1 year after completing chemotherapy did not differ in reported CIPN or pain compared with respondents who completed chemotherapy ≥6 years earlier. However, respondents who completed chemotherapy ≥6 years earlier reported better QoL. Multivariable linear regression analyses revealed predictors of CIPN severity as follows: F(7, 874) = 64.67; P<.001; R2 = 0.34, including pain (β = −0.36; P<.001), burning pain (β = 0.25; P<.001), sex (male sex associated with greater CIPN: β = 0.14; P<.001), years since completing chemotherapy (shorter time associated with greater CIPN; β = −0.10; P<.001), age (β = 0.80; P=.006), number of comorbid conditions (β = 0.07; P=.02), and body mass index (β = 0.07; P=.02). Conclusions: Respondents with a high CIPN symptom burden experienced poorer general health and QoL. Improvements in CIPN may be more likely soon after treatment. However, improvements in QoL may occur over time in those with chronic symptoms. CIPN seems to have lasting impacts on cancer survivors, and understanding risk factors is important to enable the design of further preventive and therapeutic management strategies.

scholarly journals The Person I Used To Be: Employment Experiences of Young Adults with Cancer

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa C. Scardaville ◽  
Kathleen M. Murphy ◽  
Marla Clayman ◽  
Rhonda Robert ◽  
Sandra Medina-George ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Cancer Diagnosis ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Career Trajectory ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Young Adult Cancer Survivors ◽  
Adult Cancer Survivors ◽  
Young Adult Cancer ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Purpose: Adults can experience employment-related hardships after a cancer diagnosis but young adults at the beginning of their careers may face unique challenges. This study explored the impact of cancer on young adults’ employment experiences. Methods: The authors conducted 27 qualitative semi-structured interviews with young adults who had received a cancer diagnosis. Results: Participants encountered mixed workplace support. Many reported that they did not have the benefits, such as time off or short-term disability insurance, that would have ameliorated some challenges encountered during treatment. They also shared that many workplaces do not do an adequate job of informing people with cancer about federal laws that protect people with disabilities. Most participants reported that the cancer diagnosis and treatment caused them to rethink their career trajectory.Conclusions: Cancer affects young adults in ways that present distinct struggles attributable to less access to resources. Career choices and the consequent opportunities for on-the-job training can have lifelong import.Implications for Cancer Survivors: Disability and discrimination laws do not protect all employees. Young adult cancer survivors may need to conduct their own research into these protections so they can receive entitled benefits. They and employers may also benefit from workplace interventions or trainings to lessen the employment consequences of cancer.

scholarly journals ‘A new normal with chemobrain’: Experiences of the impact of chemotherapy-related cognitive deficits in long-term breast cancer survivors

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 205510291983223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona ME Henderson ◽  
Ainslea J Cross ◽  
Amy R Baraniak
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Health Beliefs ◽  
Cognitive Deficits ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Breast Cancer Survivors ◽  
The Impact

Chemobrain is one of the most commonly reported side-effects of cancer treatment. However, there is limited research into its psychosocial concomitants. This study aimed to explore the long-term lived experience of chemobrain. Interpretative phenomenological analysis allowed an in-depth investigation of 12 breast cancer survivors suffering from perceived cognitive deficits at least 1-year post-treatment. Themes were organised around the illness representations framework. Commonly reported cognitive deficits related to memory, language and processing speed, which affected participants’ sense of identity and their interactions with others. Individual experiences were mediated by health beliefs regarding controllability, validation and impairment trajectory.

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