TY - JOUR
T1 - Patients’ Needs Regarding Anxiety Management in Palliative Cancer Care
T2 - A Qualitative Study in a Hospice Setting
AU - Zweers, Danielle
AU - de Graeff, Alexander
AU - Duijn, Jette
AU - de Graaf, Everlien
AU - Witteveen, Petronella O.
AU - Teunissen, Saskia C.C.M.
PY - 2019/11/1
Y1 - 2019/11/1
N2 - Introduction: Anxiety is a common symptom in the palliative phase, and symptom management depends on the competencies of individual professionals. This study aims to get insight into the needs of anxious hospice patients with advanced cancer regarding support. Method: Semi-structured interviews were performed in admitted hospice patients with cancer. Patients admitted from May 2017 till May 2018 were eligible whether or not they were anxious. Interviews were analyzed and coded within predefined topics. Results: Fourteen patients were included: 10 females, median age 71, and median World Health Organization performance score 3. Most patients were highly educated. Thirteen patients were interviewed within 6 months before death. Information, open communication, sense of control, safety, adequate symptom management, and respect for patients’ coping strategy were the 6 main expressed needs. Conclusion: Assessing patients’ needs regarding anxiety provided important angles where health-care professionals can make a difference in order to support anxious patients in their final stage of life to realize tailored palliative care. Future research should focus on the development of a systematic approach for health-care professionals to manage anxiety in daily care of terminal patients.
AB - Introduction: Anxiety is a common symptom in the palliative phase, and symptom management depends on the competencies of individual professionals. This study aims to get insight into the needs of anxious hospice patients with advanced cancer regarding support. Method: Semi-structured interviews were performed in admitted hospice patients with cancer. Patients admitted from May 2017 till May 2018 were eligible whether or not they were anxious. Interviews were analyzed and coded within predefined topics. Results: Fourteen patients were included: 10 females, median age 71, and median World Health Organization performance score 3. Most patients were highly educated. Thirteen patients were interviewed within 6 months before death. Information, open communication, sense of control, safety, adequate symptom management, and respect for patients’ coping strategy were the 6 main expressed needs. Conclusion: Assessing patients’ needs regarding anxiety provided important angles where health-care professionals can make a difference in order to support anxious patients in their final stage of life to realize tailored palliative care. Future research should focus on the development of a systematic approach for health-care professionals to manage anxiety in daily care of terminal patients.
KW - advanced cancer
KW - anxiety
KW - hospice care
KW - palliative care
KW - qualitative research
KW - symptoms
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85065653698&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1049909119846844
DO - 10.1177/1049909119846844
M3 - Article
C2 - 31072110
AN - SCOPUS:85065653698
SN - 1049-9091
VL - 36
SP - 947
EP - 954
JO - American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine
JF - American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine
IS - 11
ER -