title: Patients' need for information about cancer therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To obtain detailed information about the preferences of patients with cancer and their need for information about side effects of cancer treatment to design an interactive multimedia educational program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative.
  
  
  METHODS
  Regional rural academic medical center.
  
  
  METHODS
  51 patients and 14 spouses of patients who either currently were undergoing or recently had completed chemotherapy or radiation therapy for cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Focus groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Information needs and common and distressing symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients wanted information about the process of getting treatment, specific side effects that might occur, and the impact of treatment on their lives. Patients sought information from a variety of sources, but many found that other patients were the most helpful source. Although most patients wanted as much information as possible so they would be prepared for whatever happened, some patients preferred to avoid information about possible side effects. Several obstacles related to information were reported, including access to providers, communication difficulties with providers, informational overload, and problems with retention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Several aspects regarding information needs confirmed previous findings, and new aspects were illuminated. This led to a conclusion that multimedia technology offered many advantages to meet these informational needs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  New approaches to patient education that will meet the needs of patients as well as clinicians and educators need to be developed.
authors.affiliation: Norris Cotton Cancer Center, USA. karen.a.skalla@hitchcock.org
authors.forename: Karen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Skalla
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bakitas
authors.forename: Charlotte T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Furstenberg
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ahles
authors.forename: Joseph V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Henderson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D019034:CD-I / Q000639:trends; D015400:Clinical Nursing Research / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019212:Multimedia / Q000639:trends; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000379:methods; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000639:trends
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents