Women's perceptions of interactions with the health care team during treatment of the first recurrence of ovarian cancer

• Most women suffering a recurrence of ovarian cancer return to the same department where their primary cancer was treated. The aim of this study was to explore what women with the first recurrence of ovarian cancer perceived as important in their interaction with the healthcare team. Interviews were conducted with 12 women at the end of a chemotherapy treatment. The interviews were subjected to qualitative content analysis. The findings stress the importance for the healthcare team to offer each woman the opportunity to obtain support to become familiar with the disease. This theme of becoming familiar with the disease was supported by the following sub-themes: being confirmed as a person, getting help in making sense of information regarding the disease and its treatment, having the opportunity to be involved and share responsibility, and feeling confident that medical expertise is good enough.Becoming familiar with the disease was expressed as a process of understanding and assimilating the whole new situation. Optimal support from healthcare professionals was facilitated by establishing trusting relationships. Being confirmed and treated as a unique person was seen as a prerequisite to achieving familiarity with the disease. The women needed help to make sense of the information available. They stressed the importance of being able to influence their encounters with healthcare professionals in accordance with their own perspectives. Also of importance was having the opportunity to share the responsibility for their care and lives. The findings suggest that patients’ need should be identified repeatedly throughout the illness trajectory.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Omvårdnad (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Nursing (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Kirurgi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Surgery (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Ovarian neoplasms

recurrence

professional patient relations

Caring sciences

Vårdvetenskap

Surgery

Kirurgi

Surgery

Kirurgi

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

ovr (subject category)