Purpose: To understand the supportive care needs (SCNs), with associated influencing factors, related to five unmet need dimensions in adult Acute Leukemia (AL) patients, in China.
Methods: This multi-center cross-sectional study enrolled 340 pathologically confirmed adult, Chinese AL patients who were requested to complete a self-reported questionnaire, detailing demographic information, general status and physical functions, and Supportive Care Needs Survey-Short Form 34 (SCNS-SF34), revealing their unmet SCNs. The variables were statistically analyzed.
Results: A total of 311 (91.4%) effective questionnaires were retrieved. Among the 5 dimensions, the health information dimension scored the highest, 47.72(43.18), followed by psychological dimension, 35.00(32.50), while the sexual need scored the lowest, 0.00(24.99). As per multiple stepwise regression analysis, marital status, treatment stages and Karnofsky Performance Status index (KPS) score significantly influenced the health information dimension, while the age and "whether the treatment was the initial one or not" influenced sexual need dimension. KPS score and income were the common factors influencing the rest of the three dimensions with treatment stage adding to two of them except "physiological and daily living needs" dimension. "Being informed about your test results as soon as possible", "Being informed about things you can do to help yourself to get well" and "Being informed about cancer which is under control or in remission" were the three highest scoring entries.
Conclusions: The results of this study reveal the unmet SCN's, with its influencing factors, in AL patients, the understanding of which may be of assistance in designing/delivering effective clinical nursing intervention.
Keywords: Acute leukemia; Influencing factors; Supportive care needs.
Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.