Supportive care needs: An aspect of Thai women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy

Abstract

Purpose: This study was conducted to explore supportive care needs of Thai women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

Methods: Through qualitative interviews, a convenience sample of ten women with invasive and advanced invasive breast cancer who were undergoing chemotherapy were interviewed. Treatment for all women took place at a regional hospital in lower northern Thailand. Ten participants were interviewed, some more than once, for a total of 18 interviews. A qualitative approach with a semi-structured interview guideline was used in data collection. Content analysis was used to analyze the data.

Results: Four major themes were found: 1) the need for physical comfort and health safety, 2) the need for encouragement, 3) the need for solution of financial problems, and 4) the need for communication and useful information. This qualitative investigation found that supportive care needs of Thai women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy are essential for nurses to know in order to provide high quality care.

Conclusions: Improvement of supportive care quality for women with breast cancer who are undergoing chemotherapy in Thai culture should include: 1) access to supportive care needs assessment, 2) proactive dissemination of necessary information for better management of their lives, 3) aids to daily living and psychosocial support, and 4) facilitation of easy access to welfare and finance help. Provision of supportive care from both families and health care teams could improve the quality of life and so ease the women's lives for Thai women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

Keywords: Breast cancer; Chemotherapy; Qualitative study; Supportive care needs.