Schade, dass ich dies nicht vorher gewusst habe! Was krebskranke von den Informationen uber fatigue halten: eine Beurteilung durch patienten in der Schweiz und in England

Ream, E., Glaus, A., Knipping, C., Frei, I. and Browne, N. (2002) Schade, dass ich dies nicht vorher gewusst habe! Was krebskranke von den Informationen uber fatigue halten: eine Beurteilung durch patienten in der Schweiz und in England. Plege, die Wiseenschaftliche Zeitschrift fur Pflegeberufe, 15 (5), 187-194. (doi:10.1024/1012-5302.15.5.187).

Abstract

In the course of a cancer trajectory, many patients suffer from distressing fatigue. In past years, research has shown that care givers tend to underestimate or even to ignore this frequent phenomenon. Despite increasing knowledge, fatigue seems to remain an orphan topic in symptom management. Aim: A qualitative research strategy was used to explore the perception of cancer patients regarding the awareness of fatigue in professionals and the way they deal with it. Patients also evaluated the usefulness of some currently available information material about fatigue. Methods: The expert-opinion of cancer patients in Switzerland and England was analysed. Convenient sampling guided the selection process of seven patients in each country. A tape-recorded focus-group interview served as method to collect and transcribe data. Data were analysed according to the framework analyses by Richie & Spencer. Results: Results were very similar in both countries. Patients stated a great need for more information regarding fatigue. They feel that care givers are not sufficiently aware of it and that a specific support is not part of current standard practice. The information material was well received and generally judged as very good and helpful. Conclusions: Communication barriers in professionals as well as in patients continue to exist. Patients wish to be better informed by care givers. The available information material serves well to support this information as they provide words for the unmentioned phenomenon. Far more professional fatigue education is needed to raise care givers’ awareness

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Contributors

Author: N. Browne

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