Communication Needs of Patients with Breast Cancer: A Qualitative Study.
BACKGROUND
Since communication is considered to be one of the central concepts in caregiving practices, this study aims to examine the perception of women with breast cancer in terms of their communication needs.


METHODS
In this qualitative study, 20 participants (9 women with breast cancer, 10 of health-care professionals, and one family caregiver) were selected through purposive sampling, and a face-to-face semi-structured interview was conducted with each of them. After data collection, all interviews were transcribed and reviewed, and categories were extracted. The data were analyzed with Conventional Content Analysis of Landman and Graneheim using MAXQDA10 software.


RESULTS
The analysis resulted in two extracted categories: "therapeutic communication" and "facilitating empathy", and five subcategories: "trust-building therapist", "crying out to be heard," "seeking a soothing presence," "sharing knowledge," and "supportive peers".


CONCLUSIONS
Identifying and promoting the communicative needs of patients could lead to a considerably better care of patients under treatment. Therefore, therapeutic communication, as an integral part, should be incorporated into the care plan for patients with breast cancer and their families in the Oncology and Palliative Care wards.
Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tehran, Iran; Cancer Research Centre, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Tahereh Alsadat Khoubbin
TA
Khoshnazar
Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tehran, Iran.
Mrayam
M
Rassouli
Cancer Research Centre, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Mohammad Esmaeil
ME
Akbari
Cancer Research Centre, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Roudehen Branch, Tehran, Iran.
Farah
F
Lotfi-Kashani
Department of Anesthesiology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Syrus
S
Momenzadeh
Department of Nursing, Eldery Care Research Center, Shahed University, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Tehran, Iran.
Nahid
N
Rejeh
Department of Community Medicine, Shahid Behrshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Maryam
M
Mohseny
Breast cancer; Communication needs; Qualitative study