Concerns of cancer patients and their caregivers in a palliative care clinic.

Abstract

Background: In busy tertiary care centers, although the physical symptoms of patients are well-addressed, the psychosocial concerns, and needs of patients and their caregivers are often overlooked. The study aimed to assess the concerns of patients with advanced cancers and their caregivers on the day of referral to the palliative care clinic.

Methods: A survey was conducted on 140 subjects of advanced malignancies attending the palliative care clinic. These included 70 patients along with their caregivers. The patients were assessed for their psychosocial concerns and their information needs on their first visit to the palliative care clinic.

Results: The concerns of both the patients and the caregivers were separately documented. Pain followed by fatigue and insomnia were the most bothersome symptoms reported by the patients. While most of the patients (91.4%) wanted symptom relief, the patient's life expectancy was a major concern of the caregivers. The other common concerns of the patients were the disease status and curability of the disease whereas the caregivers were more concerned about the alternative treatment measures. Of the psychosocial problems, the majority of them were related to financial concerns followed by settlement of children and loneliness.

Conclusion: A difference between the needs of patients and their caregivers was observed in the present study. This may be attributed to less focus on the psychosocial problems in the busy outpatient clinics. Psychosocial concerns and effective communication both with the patient and their caregivers are required to ensure holistic care.