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07/10: Researchers Aim To Improve Communication in Cancer Care
Frank Allder first noticed a suspicious swelling on his neck in October 2003 during a Caribbean cruise with his wife Jill. A visit to their family doctor led to a radiology scan, two biopsies and a diagnosis of lymphoma (cancer of the lymph system). Then came more medical appointments and a course of chemotherapy and radiation treatment. During this process, Mr. Allder says, the healthcare providers at the BC Cancer Agency treated him with respect and sensitivity. However, at a critical point prior to his referral to the Agency, some conversations with healthcare providers left him feeling scared and confused.
That’s why the Allders, both retired Burnaby elementary school teachers, support the goals of a research program aimed at improving communication in cancer care. A collaboration between the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the BC Cancer Agency (BCCA), the research is designed to identify principles of good communication as well as elements of poor communication. Researchers hope that the results will help teach doctors, nurses and other health professionals how to communicate better, and to improve the cancer care experience for patients.
The study team plans to enroll 60 patients recently diagnosed with cancer who are willing to be interviewed about their health care communication experiences.
“When we went for the biopsy results, my regular doctor was away,” Mr. Allder recalls. “The substitute doctor told me that I had a bad form of cancer and would probably die in four to five years. He used a lot of technical terms that were unfamiliar to us then. He made no eye contact and we didn’t feel there was enough time to ask questions.”
Mr. Allder was then referred to a specialist at the BCCA’s Vancouver Centre who confirmed the initial diagnosis. “But it was how he told us that made it all so much easier to take.” The oncologist, Mr. Allder explains, “gave us his undivided attention. He looked us straight in the eye, and we felt right away that he understood our situation and would do his very best to help us. And he told us how to contact him if we had any questions after we got home.” Fortunately, Mr. Allder was later found to have a less serious form of lymphoma and, now a youthful-looking 80, is doing well. He’s convinced that the kind of communication patients have with the professionals involved in their care can make a powerful difference, either positive or negative, in a patient’s experience.
The Allders’ story illustrates the importance of improving communication in cancer care, says Sally Thorne, head of the research team. Thorne, a Professor and Director of the UBC School of Nursing, says “good communicators understand that cancer is not just one person’s illness but an experience that affects the whole family.”
Previous cancer communication studies by this team have found that a sense of personal connection with care providers is very important to patients, says Thorne. “Our studies show how communication about the diagnosis or treatment options can be overwhelming if statistical information is not thoughtfully explained in the context of an individual patient’s situation,” she says. Other studies have shown that poor communication compromises a patient’s ability to make effective decisions about care, and may add to the cost of cancer care as a result of increased emotional distress or difficulty in understanding or following treatment plans.
In addition to Thorne, the project has co-investigators from UBC (Susan Harris, School of Rehabilitation Science, Dr. John Oliffe, School of Nursing); Dr. Greg Hislop, BCCA Cancer Control Research; Dr. Charmaine Kim-Sing, BCCA Radiation Oncology, and from the University of Victoria (Dr. Kelli Stajduhar, School of Nursing). The team also includes an advisory committee of people with personal experience of cancer care as patients or family members, and of health professionals nominated by patients as good communicators.
“One of the mandates of the BC Cancer Agency is to improve the quality of care for those living with cancer," says Dr. Greg Hislop, study co-investigator. “Good communication is an important determinant of whether patients perceive their cancer experience as positive or negative - regardless of the final outcome.
“We are hoping to recruit patients with different types of cancer and follow them over time to learn about how their needs or perspectives about helpful and unhelpful communication in cancer care change over time as they progress through diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care.”
Men or women diagnosed with any form of cancer since the beginning of 2006 and who are interested in joining the Canadian Institutes for Health Research funded study may contact the project office at 604-822-8070 (toll-free at 1-866-822-7080), or by email: commun@interchange.ubc.ca
More information about the project is also available at
www.nursing.ubc.ca/Scholarship_and_Advanced_Practice/CancerCare/
The UBC School of Nursing, established in 1919, is a leading provincial, national and international centre for nursing education, research, and practice scholarship, and provides both undergraduate and graduate educational programs.
The BC Cancer Agency, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority, is committed to reducing the incidence of cancer, reducing the mortality from cancer, and improving the quality of life of those living with cancer. It provides a comprehensive cancer control program for the people of British Columbia by working with community partners to deliver a range of oncology services, including prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, research, education, supportive care, rehabilitation and palliative care.
For more information, please contact:
Papinder Rehncy, BC Cancer Agency
Tel: 604-877-6261
Email: prehncy@bccancer.bc.ca |
Hilary Thomson, University of British Columbia
Tel: 604-822-2644
Email: hilaryt@exchange.ubc.ca |
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