1. Provision of information about malignant spinal cord compression: perceptions of patients and staff.
- Author
-
Hutchinson, Cathy, Morrison, Audrey, Rice, Ann Marie, Tait, Gemma, and Harde, Sharon
- Subjects
- *
INFORMATION resources , *INTERVIEWING , *MEDICAL personnel , *PATIENT psychology , *QUESTIONNAIRES , *RESEARCH , *RESEARCH funding , *SPINAL cord tumors , *SPINAL cord compression , *STATISTICS , *SURVEYS , *DATA analysis , *DATA analysis software , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics , *PSYCHOLOGY - Abstract
Background: Various guidelines have highlighted the importance of patients being given information on malignant spinal cord compression (MSCC), both when diagnosed with the condition and as a tool to aid early detection. Aim: To determine patient and staff views on the provision of MSCC information to patients with a diagnosis of or considered to be at high risk of developing MSCC. Methods: Patients with MSCC admitted to a large regional cancer centre in Scotland over a 6-month period were interviewed. Staff were also surveyed using similar questions. Results: Fifty-six patients and fifty staff were recruited. Only 4% of staff reported giving any written information about MSCC to patients with a confirmed diagnosis, although 20% of patients said they received it and 77% wanted it. A total of 54% of staff reported giving prophylactic information about MSCC to patients, although the majority of the patients (86%) said they would have wanted this information. Patients generally did not access additional information about MSCC and were dependent on the limited amount provided by the health care team. Conclusion: Health professionals need to ensure that patients get the information they want, which will allow them to recognize MSCC symptoms early for improved treatment outcomes or to better adapt to a diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF