title: Accessing metropolitan cancer care services: practical needs of rural families.
abstract: This study explored the practical needs of patients and their families travelling from rural areas in New South Wales, Australia to cities for cancer treatment. Practical needs were information, accommodation, transport, and economic impact. A cross-sectional design was employed; data were collected by questionnaire and focus group interviews. Findings showed that practical needs impacted on the ability of the patients and families to cope with diagnosis and treatment for cancer. The greatest unmet practical need of the patients and their families was for comprehensive information that is provided before travelling and by someone, for example, nurse or social worker who can help them decipher it if required.
authors.affiliation: Clinic Nursing Research Unit, School of Nursing, Family & Comunity health, University of Western Sydney, PO Box 63, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia. l.wilkes@uws.edu.au
authors.forename: Lesley M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Wilkes
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Shantala
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mohan
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Beale
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D017144:Focus Groups; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006786:Hospitals, Urban / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D009517:New South Wales; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012424:Rural Population; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014186:Transportation