title: Exploring the patient's experience of a day hospital chemotherapy service: preliminary fieldwork.
abstract: This paper describes some preliminary findings from a Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenological study exploring patients' experiences of a day hospital chemotherapy service. Phenomenology has been described as both a philosophical perspective and a research method. Following a review of the literature, it was apparent that there is a paucity of qualitative studies regarding the experience of chemotherapy treatment. The aim of the study was to explore patients' experiences of receiving treatment within a day hospital setting and to compare this with previously having received treatment as an inpatient. Purposeful sampling and face-to-face interviews were conducted. Preliminary data analysis from the pilot study has identified themes for patients relating to the need to maintain hope associated with treatment; feelings of adjustment; incorporating treatment as 'part of life'; need for closure following treatment; thoughts of comradeship and sharing the experience.
authors.affiliation: Ssj.mcilfatrick@ulst.ac.uk
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mcilfatrick
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: Hugh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: McKenna
mesh_terms: D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016294:Models, Nursing; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology*; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D018579:Patient Selection; D010687:Philosophy, Nursing
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents