title: Supportive care for Taiwanese women with suspected breast cancer during the diagnostic period: effect on healthcare and support needs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of supportive care on healthcare and support needs for women with suspected breast cancer during the diagnostic period.
  
  
  METHODS
  A quasiexperimental design with two nonrandomly assigned groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two general surgery outpatient departments at a large teaching hospital in Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental and control groups included 62 and 60 women with suspected breast cancer, respectively.
  
  
  METHODS
  The experimental group received supportive care, including health education pamphlets regarding breast cancer diagnosis and treatment; three sessions of individual, face-to-face health education and emotional support; and two follow-up telephone counseling sessions. The control group received routine care. Data were collected upon notice of need for breast biopsy, before biopsy, and after biopsy results were revealed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Healthcare and support needs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Levels of healthcare and support needs before breast biopsy and after results were revealed were significantly lower for the experimental group than the control group. Supportive care and biopsy results predicted healthcare and support need levels after diagnosis confirmation, explaining 57% of the total variance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Supportive care incorporating information, emotional support, and continuous follow-up care improved the degree to which women with suspected breast cancer perceived that their healthcare and support needs were met.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Supportive care, when individually designed and culturally sensitive, can help clinical nurses improve quality of care for clients with suspected breast cancer during the diagnostic period.
authors.affiliation: Administration Center of Medical Research Department at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung Institute of Technology, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Mei-Nan
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Ping-Ling
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Miin-Fu
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shin-Cheh
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yi-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D012944:Social Support; D016896:Treatment Outcome