title: [Visits to cancer patients in hospital by members of cancer self-help groups in the context of visit programmes - process and outome indicators].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In Germany since the 1970s, several self-help groups of cancer patients have begun to conduct patient visits to the hospital for cancer patients. Until today the conversations between cancer patients and visiting services were not subject to scientific investigation. Therefore, a cooperation study by the Deutsche ILCO, the women's self-help for cancer and the Section of Medical Sociology of a German university was conducted with the aim of evaluating the quality of the visitor conversations with patients with colon cancer and breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational cohort study with 2 time points (T1: during the hospital stay; T2 3 months after hospital discharge) combined a descriptive cross-sectional analysis for process quality of the conversations with a hypothesis-based longitudinal analysis of outcome quality of conversations. Data were collected by written, postal patient questionnaires. The T1 and T2 questionnaires were developed in consultation with a number of regional self-help groups. The questionnaires included socio-demographic and disease-related questions, validated scales for the burden of cancer patients (FBK-R10), for depression (CES-D) and health locus of control (GKÜ) and specially developed questions for cancer about process and outcome quality of the conversations with the visitors of self-help groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of patients rated the appearance and behaviour of the visitors in regard to several parameters as very positive. Thus, most patients found the conversation to be useful for their mental status and situation by reducing fears, building hope, courage, confidence, and the resulting suggestions for coping. However, disease-related stress, depression and health locus of control were found at 3 months after hospital discharge (T2) for the characteristics in patients with no evidence of a positive/salutogenetic effect of the visitor's conversation. The results of the study indicate that the opportunity to talk with members of self-help groups was considered helpful by cancer patients and should be offered in the future. A medium-term effect concerning the health outcome could not yet be demonstrated in this study. Further research projects on the importance of self-help groups in health-care research are necessary.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Slesina
authors.affiliation: Institut für Rehabilitationsmedizin, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Halle.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rennert
authors.affiliation: Institut für Gesundheits- und Pflegewissenschaften, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Halle.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D017064:Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012657:Self-Help Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016896:Treatment Outcome