The cost of living with cancer during the second wave of COVID-19: A mixed methods study of Danish cancer patients' perspectives.
Karin Brochstedt Dieperink, Tine Ikander, Sabina Appiah and 1 others
PMID 33878634WHAT IT FOUND
Cancer patients described pandemic isolation and changes to care as negative, but most reported mild distress and high resilience.
Family support mattered most during consultations, hospitalization and surgery.
Key findings
01Four themes came from the 40 interviews: the cost of living with cancer during COVID-19, changes in cancer care delivery, feeling particularly vulnerable, and the importance of family support.
02Most participants reported mild distress, with a mean Distress Thermometer score of 2.3 on a 0 to 10 scale, and high resilience, with a mean score of 7.25 on a 0 to 10 scale.
03Patients said family support was vital, especially when they were hospitalized, receiving active treatment or undergoing surgery, but restrictions often kept family away.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study included 40 patients from one Danish hospital, and all were Danish speakers, so experiences may differ in other countries, languages or healthcare systems. Participants had breast, lung, colorectal or rectal cancer, or melanoma, so it does not describe patients with rarer cancers. The sample excluded inpatients, patients near the end of life, patients receiving radiotherapy or combined systemic treatment and radiotherapy, and patients with a positive COVID-19 test. Many participants were in follow-up care, and the study was a snapshot of the second wave, when restrictions and patient worries were changing. Purposive sampling from patients who had already consented to contact may have selected for people willing to discuss these topics. Interviews averaged 15.3 minutes, so some topics may not have been explored in depth.
Declared interests
The study was financially supported by AgeCare, Academy of Geriatric Cancer Research. The authors declared no competing financial interests or personal relationships.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that replacing clinic visits with telephone consultations and restricting family visits caused no harm. The study described 40 patients' experiences during one wave, excluded several treatment groups, and did not test cancer care outcomes.