title: After initial treatment for primary breast cancer: information needs, health literacy, and the role of health care workers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  After a short hospital stay of just some days follows long-term outpatient care for breast cancer patients. The aim of the study is to describe the information needs of breast cancer outpatients and to get in touch with aspects of health literacy, as well as contact various health care workers.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a multicenter study, patients were asked about their information needs 10 weeks after surgery. The analysis on hand includes data about 1248 female patients. In addition to descriptive analyses identifying the most prevalent information needs, logistic regression analyses were calculated to identify factors associated with these.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results show that information needs of breast cancer outpatients are mainly in "follow-up after acute treatment", "coping with long-term side effects", and "heredity of breast cancer". In addition to sociodemographic patient characteristics, perceived helpful contacts with various health care workers as well as a satisfactory patient's level of health literacy reduced the probability of unmet information needs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Breast cancer outpatients have numerous information needs. In addition to provide information at the right time regarding a specific disease phase, it is important that health professionals' support affected breast cancer patients in coping with the new situation.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Sociology, Health Services Research and Rehabilitation Science (IMVR), Faculty of Human Science and Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Eupener Strasse 129, 50933, Cologne, Germany. anna.schmidt@uk-koeln.de.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Sociology, Health Services Research and Rehabilitation Science (IMVR), Faculty of Human Science and Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Eupener Strasse 129, 50933, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ernstmann
authors.affiliation: German Cancer Society, Kuno-Fischer-Strasse 8, 14057, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wesselmann
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Sociology, Health Services Research and Rehabilitation Science (IMVR), Faculty of Human Science and Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Eupener Strasse 129, 50933, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pfaff
authors.affiliation: Institute for Psychology, University of Education, Kunzenweg 21, 79117, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wirtz
authors.affiliation: German Cancer Society, Kuno-Fischer-Strasse 8, 14057, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kowalski
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D057220:Health Literacy / Q000379:methods*; D006282:Health Personnel; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012944:Social Support
keywords: Breast cancer outpatient; Health care workers; Health literacy; Information needs