Information Needs and Satisfaction among Family Members of Terminal Cancer Patients through Phone Cancer Information Services.
- Author:
Kyeung Eun KWON
1
;
Boon Han KIM
;
Yoon Jung CHANG
;
Hee Jung KIM
;
Yun JUNG
Author Information
1. National Cancer Center, Ministry of Health and Welfare, National Cancer Information Center, Goyang, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Terminal cancer;
Cancer;
Information services;
Satisfaction;
Familymembers
- MeSH:
Child;
Counseling;
Financial Support;
Hospices;
Hospitalization;
Humans;
Information Centers;
Information Services;
Internet;
Mass Media;
Quality of Life;
Spouses;
Telephone
- From:Korean Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
2009;12(1):5-13
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: This exploratory study was undertaken to analyze the information needs of family members of terminal cancer patients, collected through the telephone counselling service by National Cancer Information Center. METHODS: The study included 113 family members of terminal cancer patients who had enrolled at the National Cancer Information Center for the period from June, 2007 through March, 2008 and had agreed to the survey. RESULTS: The subjects (n=113) consisted of grown-up children (n=82) and spouses (n=8) of patients'. Those in their 40's (n=40) and 30's (n=36) accounted for the majority of the sample. The questions raised most were about the information on treatment methods (n=117), management of terminal cancer patients (n=46), terminal cancer patients' life (n=27), deathbed and prediction of remaining life (n=18), hospitalization (n=16), and financial support (n=15). Most of the subjects were satisfied with the telephone counseling services, and 69% of the subjects had come to know about the telephone counseling service via Internet, and 10.6% of them stated that the PR for the service was poor. CONCLUSION: It is deemed essential for the government to use the mass media for PR of the hospice services, since family members of terminal cancer patients' are less aware of the hospice conducive to enhancement of patients' remaining quality of life, being involued too deeply in their treatment.
