title: Satisfaction with information and unmet information needs in men and women with cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Information needs in cancer patients are high but often not fulfilled. This study aimed to examine the level of perceived information, information satisfaction, and unmet needs in a large sample of cancer patients. Further, we explored associations with emotional distress and quality of life accounting for gender.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a multicenter, cross-sectional study in Germany, 4020 cancer patients (mean age 58 years, 51 % women) were evaluated. We obtained self-reports of information level, information satisfaction, and unmet needs, measured depressive symptoms with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), symptoms of anxiety with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), and health-related quality of life with the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-two to 88 % of participants reported to be well informed regarding various aspects of their disease, except of psychological support (38 %). However, unmet information needs were also prevalent in 36 to 48 %. Gender differences found were generally small. Although men felt less informed about psychological support, they expressed fewer needs for further information regarding this topic. Irrespective of gender, patients who were less satisfied with information received and had more unmet needs reported more anxiety, depression, and lower quality of life. Up to three quarters of those classified as most severely distressed reported unmet needs for information about psychological support.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this largest study to date, we found high levels of both information received and satisfaction with information, but also considerable amounts of unmet needs, particularly regarding psychological support.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Provision of information about psychosocial support seems important to increase utilization of support offers among distressed cancer survivors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Medical Sociology and Rehabilitation Sciences, and Comprehensive Cancer Center Mainfranken, University of Würzburg, Klinikstrasse 3, 97070, Würzburg, Germany. h.faller@uni-wuerzburg.de.
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Faller
authors.affiliation: Department and Outpatient Clinic of Medical Psychology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Section of Psychosocial Oncology, University Medical Center Leipzig, Philipp-Rosenthal-Strasse 55, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.|Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Universal Medical Center Mainz, Untere Zahlbacherstrasse 8, 55131, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Elmar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brähler
authors.affiliation: Department and Outpatient Clinic of Medical Psychology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Härter
authors.affiliation: Division of Psychooncology, Department for Psychosomatic and General Clinical Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 155, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.affiliation: Department and Outpatient Clinic of Medical Psychology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biometry and Epidemiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wegscheider
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychooncology, Tumor Biology Center, University of Freiburg, Breisacher Strasse 117, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weis
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychooncology, Tumor Biology Center, University of Freiburg, Breisacher Strasse 117, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boehncke
authors.affiliation: Rhein-Jura Klinik, Bad Säckingen, Germany.|Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Freiburg, Hauptstrasse 5, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hund
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Freiburg, Hauptstrasse 5, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Reuter
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Medical Sociology and Rehabilitation Sciences, and Comprehensive Cancer Center Mainfranken, University of Würzburg, Klinikstrasse 3, 97070, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Richard
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biometry and Epidemiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sehner
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Section of Psychosocial Oncology, University Medical Center Leipzig, Philipp-Rosenthal-Strasse 55, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.|Psychosocial Counselling Center for Cancer Patients, Schlobigplatz 23, 08056, Zwickau, Germany.
authors.forename: Carina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Szalai
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy and Center of Clinical Epidemiology and Longitudinal Studies (CELOS), Technical University Dresden, Chemnitzer Strasse 46, 01187, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans-Ulrich
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Wittchen
authors.affiliation: Department and Outpatient Clinic of Medical Psychology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.|Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Section of Psychosocial Oncology, University Medical Center Leipzig, Philipp-Rosenthal-Strasse 55, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mehnert
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000592:standards; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Anxiety; Cancer; Depression; Information; Needs; Quality of life