Open AccessIdentifying unmet information needs of advanced cancer patients in Iran: An in‐depth qualitative study
Author(s) -
Amiri Parasto,
Mohammadi Ali,
Bahaadinbeigy Kambiz,
Kalantari Khandani Behjat,
Maazed Vahid
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
health science reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.462
H-Index - 7
ISSN - 2398-8835
DOI - 10.1002/hsr2.914
Subject(s) - information needs , medicine , exploratory research , qualitative research , family medicine , needs assessment , cancer , information seeking , gerontology , social science , sociology , world wide web , computer science , anthropology , library science
Background and Aims One of the main vital needs for self‐care in patients with advanced cancer is information need. Meeting this need has significant positive effects on improving their treatment and care. This study was conducted to identify the unmet information needs of patients with advanced cancer in Iran. Methods This exploratory study was performed from July to February 2021 in the Kerman University of Medical Sciences cancer treatment centers. Oncologists selected eligible patients by purposeful sampling method. Semistructured and in‐depth interviews were conducted with selected patients to collect data. Interviews continued until data saturation. Each interview was audio‐recorded and transcribed verbatim. Results In the interviews, 15 patients with advanced cancer ranging in age from 43 to 65 years participated. The most common type of cancer in women was breast (71.4%) and prostate (50%) in men. The two main categories of “types of unmet information needs” and “reasons for not meeting information needs” were extracted from the analysis of patient interviews, with six and four subcategories, respectively. Conclusion Cancer patients had a large number of unmet information needs. At the time of identifying the unmet information needs of cancer patients, the basic reasons for not meeting these needs should also be considered because cultural differences and social gaps in societies are inevitable.