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Preferences for intervention among cancer patients receiving radiotherapy for the first time

University of British Columbia

This exploratory, descriptive study was designed to describe health care preferences among cancer patients receiving radiotherapy for the first time. In addition, the relationship between selected demographic variables and patients' health care preferences was examined as was the relationship between patients' anxiety and their health care preferences. A convenience sample of forty newly-diagnosed cancer patients was selected from the population of patients receiving radiotherapy at a large urban cancer treatment facility. The sample included 21 women and 19 men ranging in age from 36 to 79 years. From medical records, the researcher collected relevant demographic information. Patients completed the Health Care Preference Survey, a seven-item forced-choice questionnaire. Each item presented a clinical situation and offered a choice between a cognitive or an affective nursing intervention. Anxiety was measured by the subjects' responses to the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory(STAI). In most situations, patients preferred cognitive over affective interventions and the preference for cognitive interventions was largely independent of demographic variables. Clinical situation and timing may have affected intervention preference. Patients' anxiety levels significantly affected their preferences for health care interventions. Patients who had high State anxiety scores preferred affective rather than cognitive interventions. Incidental findings included subjects' comments about participation in the study and attitudes toward their illness experiences and obtaining information. Implications for nursing practice and recommendatons for further research are discussed.

Text

2010-06-14

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/25730

Nursing

University of British Columbia

Graduate