title: Telephone calls by individuals with cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe symptom type and reporting patterns found in spontaneously initiated telephone calls placed to an ambulatory cancer center practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective, descriptive.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult hematology oncology cancer center.
  
  
  METHODS
  563 individuals with a wide range of oncology diagnoses who initiated 1,229 telephone calls to report symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Raw data were extracted from telephone forms using a data collection sheet with 23 variables obtained for each phone call, using pre-established coding criteria. A literature-based, investigator-developed instrument was used for the coding criteria and selection of which variables to extract.
  
  
  METHODS
  Symptom reporting, telephone calls, pain, and symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 2,378 symptoms were reported by telephone during the four months. At least 10% of the sample reported pain (38%), fatigue (16%), nausea (16%), swelling (12%), diarrhea (12%), dyspnea (10%), and anorexia (10%). The modal response was to call only one time and to report only one symptom (55%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pain emerged as the symptom that most often prompted an individual to pick up the telephone and call. Although variation was seen in symptom reporting, an interesting pattern emerged with an individual reporting on a solitary symptom in a single telephone call.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The emergence of pain as the primary symptom reported by telephone prompted educational efforts for both in-person clinic visit management of pain and prioritizing nursing education and protocol management of pain reported by telephone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Report of symptoms by telephone can provide nurses unique insight into patient-centered needs. Although pain has been an important focus of education and research for decades, it remains a priority for individuals with cancer. A wide range in symptom reporting by telephone was evident.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and James P. Wilmot Cancer Center, University of Rochester, New York.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Flannery
authors.forename: Leanne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: McAndrews
authors.forename: Karen F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Stein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003371:Cough / Q000209:etiology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000193:education; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013689:Telephone; D014555:Urination Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D055815:Young Adult