title: Dealing with symptoms and issues of hospitalized patients with cancer in indonesia: the role of families, nurses, and physicians.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients with cancer often face physical, psychological, social, spiritual, and emotional symptoms. Our aim was to study symptoms and issues of hospitalized patients with cancer in Indonesia, a country with strong family ties, and how family members, nurses, and physicians deal with them.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2011, 150 hospitalized cancer patients in 3 general hospitals in Indonesia were invited to fill in a questionnaire, which was based on the validated Problems and Needs of Palliative Care (short version) questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 119 patients (79%) who completed the questionnaire, 85% stated that their symptoms and issues were addressed. According to these patients, financial (56%), autonomy (36%), and psychosocial (34%) issues were most often addressed by the family alone. Physical symptoms (52%) and spiritual issues (33%) were addressed mainly by a combination of family, nurses, and physicians.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hospitalized patients with cancer in Indonesia felt that most of their symptoms and issues had been addressed, and the family was highly involved. The strong family ties in Indonesian culture may have contributed to this family role. More research is needed to clarify how this influences patient outcome, quality of care, and quality of life of both the patients and their families, along with the degree of partnership between families and professionals. This information might help answer the question what advantages and disadvantages the family role in caring for a hospitalized patient with cancer generates for the patient, the family, and professional caregivers.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Medical Faculty, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.|Scientific Institute for Quality of Healthcare, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Christantie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Effendy
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Kris
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vissers
authors.affiliation: Center of Development for Palliative and Pain Relief, Dr. Soetomo Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia.
authors.forename: Sunaryadi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tejawinata
authors.affiliation: Scientific Institute for Quality of Healthcare, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.|Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.|Kalorama Foundation, Beek-Ubbergen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Myrra
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vernooij-Dassen
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Engels
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007214:Indonesia / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000523:psychology; D010819:Physician's Role / Q000523:psychology*; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Indonesia; addressing symptoms; culture; family caregiver; hospitalization; patients with cancer