Open AccessThe tumor patient in the COVID-19 pandemic–an interview-based study of 30 patients undergoing systemic antiproliferative therapy
Author(s) -
Ulrich Kaiser,
Ursula VehlingKaiser,
Jörg Schmidt,
Ana Hoffmann,
Florian Kaiser
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0256047
Subject(s) - pandemic , medicine , social isolation , covid-19 , isolation (microbiology) , population , family medicine , adverse effect , telemedicine , telephone interview , outpatient clinic , qualitative research , social media , quality of life (healthcare) , emergency medicine , health care , nursing , psychiatry , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty) , bioinformatics , environmental health , political science , biology , social science , sociology , economics , economic growth , law
Five months after COVID-19 first occurred and protective regulations were introduced, patients at three outpatient hematological/oncological centers in Bavaria who had received antiproliferative tumor therapy (n = 30) were questioned about the pandemic’s impact. Patients, materials and methods In recorded semi-structured telephone interviews, the patients answered questions about their quality of life, treatment procedures, their relationship with medical care staff and modern communication technologies. Each interview consisted of 28 questions. The average length of an interview was 30 minutes. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed by means of a qualitative content analysis according to Mayring. Results The COVID-19 pandemic adds to the burden of patients by decreasing their social contacts. They perceived the new isolation and protective measures in outpatient clinics as mostly positive and said its impact had been only slightly adverse. With the implemented safety measures, they feel adequately protected and looked after and want their antiproliferative therapy to be performed as scheduled. Talking to medical staff provides additional reassurance. Conclusion Although the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the social isolation of tumor patients, it has had only a minor effect on tumor therapy in the surveyed patient population. The benefits of modern communication options to tumor patients remains uncertain and should be investigated further in future studies.