The Diagnosis and Treatment Decisions of Cancer Patients in Rural Western Australia
Access Status
Authors
Date
2010Type
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Source Title
ISSN
School
Remarks
© 2010 Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. Reproduced with permission from Wolters Kluwer (This article was published under the imprint Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins). [Mcconigley, Ruth and Holloway, Kristi and Smith, Jodi and Halkett, Georgia and Keyser, Jo and Aoun, Samar and Monterosso, Leanne. 2010. The Diagnosis and Treatment Decisions of Cancer Patients in Rural Western Australia. Cancer Nursing. 34 (4): pp. E1-E9.] [<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/NCC.0b013e3181f795e7">http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/NCC.0b013e3181f795e7</a>]
Collection
Abstract
Background: People living in rural areas who have a diagnosis of cancer have poorer outcomes than people living in urban centers. The reasons for this are unclear. Little is known about the impact that living in a rural area has on the diagnosis and treatment decisions of these people and how these may in turn impact on care outcomes. Objectives: This study explored the reasons why people living in rural areas may delay diagnosis and what issues affected the decisions they made regarding their cancer treatment. Methods: In depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with 18 participants from 3 rural Western Australian health regions. Content analysis was used to develop themes.Results: Four themes were identified to describe the rural cancer experience. The first 3 themes, Experiences of Diagnosis and Referral, The Treatment Journey, and Managing your own Care, relate to the experiences of rural cancer patients during their journey through the health care system. The final overarching theme, Implicit Faith, described the level of confidence that rural cancer patients had in the health system, often despite delays and inconveniences. Conclusions: There is a need to improve primary health care and care coordination for rural cancer patients living in Australia and to promote self-advocacy and consumer empowerment for rural cancer patients. Implications for Practice: Rural patients need help and support throughout their cancer journey, including through the process of diagnosis.
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
Shahid, Shaouli; Teng, T.; Bessarab, D.; Aoun, Samar; Baxi, S.; Thompson, S. (2016)BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Delayed presentation of symptomatic cancer is associated with poorer survival. Aboriginal patients with cancer have higher rates of distant metastases at diagnosis compared with non-Aboriginal ...
-
Lyford, M.; Haigh, M.; Baxi, S.; Cheetham, Shelley; Shahid, Shaouli; Thompson, S. (2018)Travel logistics impede Aboriginal patients' uptake of cancer treatments and is one reason for the poorer outcomes of Aboriginal people with cancer. This research examined benefits of a newly established rurally based ...
-
Hawley, Georgina (2002)This study was designed to identify the spiritual needs of multicultural Australians with a health problem, in order to understand the educational implications for health care professionals. The rationale for the research ...