Journal
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY NURSING
Volume 19, Issue 4, Pages 383-390Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejon.2015.01.003
Keywords
Brain tumor; High-grade glioma; Patient experience; Qualitative research
Funding
- Kom op tegen Kanker
- Campaign of the Flemish League Against Cancer/Vlaamse Liga tegen Kanker VZW
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Purpose: Patients with high-grade glioma (HGG) face debilitating symptoms and a poor prognosis. The aims of this study were to better understand how patients with HGG experience life with a brain tumor, and to explore their professional care needs. Methods: We conducted a qualitative research of HGG patients' experiences using semi-structured interviews and using a Grounded Theory approach. Participants were recruited during patients' hospital visits for treatment or follow-up at the University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium. Seventeen HGG patients were interviewed for the study. Results: Interviews showed that HGG diagnosis left patients feeling like everything was surreal. From that point on, their life was marked by loss. HGG patients sometimes felt disregarded by family caregivers, professional caregivers, and the health care system. They felt as if they were on the sidelines of their own life. Despite the devastating experience of living with this type of brain tumor, HGG patients also expressed great inner strength, and they tried to maintain hope. Their pivotal professional care needs concerned information, communication, and accessibility. Conclusions: Diagnosis of HGG changes life drastically. Our results highlight the need for professional caregivers to be more considerate and supportive of patients with this life-changing diagnosis. Additionally, professional caregivers need to acknowledge these patients as persons and strive to empower them in order to bolster their personal strength. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available