Together through the valley of death: Lived experience of case managers to meet the informational needs of gynecologic cancer survivors

Abstract

Objectives: Case managers are crucial providers of health education and consultation for patients with gynecologic cancer to satisfy their informational needs. The purpose of this study is to understand the experience of case managers working to meet the needs of these patients in order to further improve their overall quality of care.

Materials and methods: A qualitative study employed. Twenty case managers recruited from Taiwanese healthcare institutes using purposive sampling. Participants were interviewed in semi-structure fashion. All interviews were verbatim transcribed. The steps of Giorgi's phenomenological method were used to analyze the transcripts.

Results: Three major themes and twelve subthemes emerged. Major themes were associated with cancer development: (1) during diagnosis, build a communication bridge and provide appropriate treatment early on, become consultants; (2) during treatment, provide comprehensive medical care for cancer, become the patient's manager; (3) during follow-ups, assist patients to comprehend and adapt to living with cancer, return to society and the original pace of life.

Conclusion: Case managers accompany patients with gynecologic cancer and address their problems to other medical professional. The informational needs of patients with gynecologic cancer differ along the course of the disease. It is important for cancer care manager to deliver the information of individualized health care in timely manner to ensure the overall quality of care for patients with gynecologic cancer.

Keywords: Case manager; Gynecologic cancer survivor; Informational needs; Lived experience.