1. Gynecological cancer patients' attitudes toward follow-up care after cancer treatment: Do preferences reflect patients' experience? A cross-sectional questionnaire study.
- Author
-
Fidjeland, Heidi L., Brekke, Mette, Stokstad, Trine, and Vistad, Ingvild
- Subjects
MEDICAL care ,QUALITY of life ,T cells ,FOLLOW-up studies (Medicine) ,WELL-being ,CANCER relapse ,FAMILY medicine ,FEMALE reproductive organ tumors ,GYNECOLOGY ,PATIENT aftercare ,PATIENT satisfaction ,RESEARCH funding ,CROSS-sectional method - Abstract
Introduction: Due to an increasing number of cancer patients, new follow-up models are being debated, among them follow-up by general practitioners. Before changing surveillance, it is important to explore patients' views. The purpose of this study was to compare attitudes toward follow-up care among patients treated for gynecological cancer who had not yet started a follow-up regimen, with those who had been attending a hospital-based follow-up regimen for more than one year.Material and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among gynecological cancer patients recruited from three Norwegian hospitals in 2013-2015: Sørlandet Hospital Kristiansand, Sørlandet Hospital Arendal and St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim.Results: In all, 239 patients agreed to participate, 100 who had not yet started follow-up and 139 who had been attending more than one year of follow-up. Patients reported that they preferred to be followed up by a gynecologist rather than by their GP, whom they viewed as less competent for this purpose. However, patients who had not yet started follow-up were more willing to be followed up by a GP. Overall, patients rated detection of recurrence as the most important aspect of follow-up visits.Conclusions: The gynecological cancer patients in our study preferred a hospital-based follow-up model. However, patients who had not yet started follow-up were more willing to be followed up by a GP. If follow-up is to be provided by GPs for selected patients, it is important that these patients are informed early of the value and limitations of follow-up visits, to ensure that they feel safe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF