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Oral Abstracts
Author(s) -
Carnew, Lynda J.,
Langbecker, Danette H.,
Liu, Wei-Hong,
Sykes, Julie,
Monterosso, Leanne,
Aranda, Sanchia,
Roos, Ian,
Yates, Patsy
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
asia‐pacific journal of clinical oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.73
H-Index - 29
eISSN - 1743-7563
pISSN - 1743-7555
DOI - 10.1111/ajco.12304
Subject(s) - medicine
Aims\ud\ud - A prostate cancer specialist nursing service was introduced in\ud2012 to 12 health services across Australia and was evaluated to\udmeasure the impact of this role on patients, their carers, and the health\udcare system. Analysis of patient interviews was conducted to identify\udpatients’ experiences in 5 domains (information provision; decision\udmaking; coordination of care; post-treatment issues and life after treatment).\udThis report focuses on post-treatment issues experienced by men\udafter prostate cancer treatment, and the impact of the nursing service on\udtheir resolution.\ud\udMethods\ud\ud - A mixed methods comparative design was used, recruiting\udpatients in the six months before (Cohort 1) and six months after (Cohort\ud2) the introduction of the service. For the qualitative component, telephone\udinterviews were conducted with patients from both cohorts to\uddiscuss their care experiences. Stratified samples of consenting men were\udchosen across a range of demographics and sites. The constant comparative\udmethod was used to generate themes. Interviews continued (36 Cohort\ud1 and 34 Cohort 2 patients) until no new themes emerged from the\uddata.\udResults: Themes identified across cohorts were: erectile dysfunction;\udurinary incontinence; psychological issues and other common experiences\ud(e.g. pain) which were significant issues post-treatment. Men reported that\udhaving a contact person to openly discuss matters and seek referrals,\udadvice and support was helpful. Men from Cohort 1 described instances of\udcomplications arising from erectile dysfunction which had not been followed\udup and remained unresolved. In contrast, men from Cohort 2\uddescribed being able to contact their prostate cancer specialist nurse for\udfollow-up support and that their transition was facilitated by having a key\udcontact person.\ud\udConclusion\ud\ud - The prostate cancer specialist nursing service assisted men to\udknow what to expect post-treatment. Being able to contact their nurse for\udfollow-up and support contributed to an overall improved post-treatment\udexperience