"I'm Dealing With That": Illness Concerns of African American and White Cancer Patients While Undergoing Active Cancer Treatments.
Salimah H Meghani, Kristin Levoy, Kristin Corey Magan and 3 others
PMID 33107324WHAT IT FOUND
Patients in active cancer treatment described concerns about pain, opioid fears, fragmented care, transportation, and bills.
Their concerns were largely similar across African American and White patients.
Key findings
01Many patients took lower opioid doses than prescribed or avoided opioids because they feared addiction and side effects such as nausea, constipation, and mental fog.
02Patients asked for continuous, incremental information about symptom meaning and expected side effects, rather than being overloaded at once.
03Patients described care fragmentation and financial toxicity as major practical concerns.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study interviewed 32 patients from one cancer center, so it describes concerns rather than how common they are. It included only African American and White patients, so it does not cover other racial or ethnic groups. All patients had moderate to severe pain, so pain concerns may be more prominent than in cancer patients without pain. Participants had mixed cancer diagnoses, stages, and treatments, so specific concerns may vary by disease and therapy. The study was qualitative and did not test whether addressing these concerns improved symptoms, access, or outcomes. Patients self-reported experiences by telephone, and the study did not verify provider records or treatment details.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that African American patients had a larger or different set of concerns overall. Most concerns were similar between African American and White patients, with some differences in emphasis.