Abstract
Purpose
Families provide crucial support, yet their own needs often go unrecognised and, as a consequence, remain unmet. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a newly developed supportive intervention for family members of patients with lung cancer.
Materials and methods
A consecutive convenience sample of 25 family members of people with lung cancer received an individualised supportive intervention from a support nurse over a period of 12 weeks. This involved in-depth assessment followed up with a tailored plan of ongoing support to address informational, emotional, social and practical needs. A concurrent mixed method design explored perceptions and outcomes of those receiving the intervention and assess its appropriateness, acceptability and feasibility. Data were collected through a semi structured telephone interview with family members, and support nurses maintained a contact log. A questionnaire addressed emotional well-being [general health questionnaire (GHQ-12)], quality of life [quality of life family version (Family QoL)] and needs for care [family inventory of needs (FIN)]—at baseline and week 12.
Results
Family members perceived they had derived benefit from the intervention. Certain elements clearly emerged as important for participants, including being listened to by someone who could facilitate emotional expression, being provided with individually tailored information and receiving practical help and advice. Outcomes mapped to five main areas: information needs, communication between family members, emotional well-being, being supported and facilitating family member’s role. There was a trend for more needs to be met and quality of life and emotional well-being to improve at week 12.
Conclusion
This study has demonstrated that a supportive intervention for family members of patients with lung cancer can be delivered to good effect by experienced cancer nurses. The active components of the intervention have been distinguished and provide the basis for development of a larger sufficiently powered trial.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Thomas C, Morris SM, Harman JC (2002) Companions through cancer: the care given by informal carers in cancer contexts. Soc Sci Med 54(4):529–544
Plant H (2000) Living with cancer. Understanding the experiences of close relatives of people with cancer. PhD thesis. King’s College London
Krishnasamy M, Wilkie E (1999) Lung cancer: patients’, families’ and professionals’ perceptions of health care need. A national needs assessment study. Project Report. Practice Development Unit/Centre for Cancer and Palliative Care Studies, Macmillan, London
Department of Health (2000) The NHS cancer plan: a plan for investment. A plan for reform. HMSO, London
NICE (2004) Guidance on cancer services: improving supportive and palliative care for adults with cancer. The manual. National Institute for Clinical Excellence, London
Harding R, Higginson IJ (2003) What is the best way to help caregivers in cancer and palliative care? A systematic literature review of interventions and their effectiveness. Palliat Med 17(1):63–74
Clarke D (1993) Evaluating the needs of informal carers. Prog Palliat Care 1:3–5
James V (1998) Unwaged carers and the provision of health care. In: Field D, Taylor S (eds) Sociological perspectives on health, illness and health care. Blackwell, Oxford
Cribb A (2001) Knowledge and caring: a philosophical and personal perspective. In: Corner J, Bailey C (eds) Cancer nursing: care in context. Blackwell, Oxford
Ferris F, Balfour H, Bowen K, Farley J, Hardwick M, Lamontagne C et al (2002) A model to guide hospice palliative care. Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association, Ottowa, ON
Harding R, Higginson IJ, Leam C, Donaldson N, Pearce A, George R et al (2004) Evaluation of a short-term group intervention for informal carers of patients attending a home palliative care service. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management 27(5):396–408
Pitceathly C, Maguire P (2003) The psychological impact of cancer on patients’ partners and other key relatives: review. Eur J Cancer 39:1517–1524
Medical Research Council (2000) A framework for development and evaluation of RCTs for complex interventions to improve health. Medical Research Council, UK, (April 2000)
Krishnasamy M, Wilkie E, Haviland J (2001) Lung cancer health care needs assessment: patients’ and informal carers’ response to a national mail questionnaire survey. Palliat Med 15:213–227
Cancer Research UK (2005) Lung cancer: lung cancer survival statistics. Cancer Research UK, London
Creswell JW (2003) Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches, 2nd edn. Sage, London
Rogers C (1961) On becoming a person. Houghton Mifflin, Boston
McCormack B, McCance T (2006) Development of a framework for person-centred nursing. J Adv Nurs 56(5):472–479
Binnie A, Titchen A (1999) Freedom to practice: the development of patient-centred nursing. Heinemann, Oxford
Golderberg D, Williams P (1988) A user’s guide to the general health questionnaire. NFER-Nelson, Windsor, UK
Ferrell BR, Grant M, Chan J, Ahn C, Ferrell BA (1995) The impact of cancer pain education on family caregivers of elderly patients. Oncol Nurs Forum 22(8):1211–1218
Kristjanson LJ, Atwood J, Degner LF (1995) Validity and reliability of the family inventory of needs (FIN): measuring the care needs of families of advanced cancer patients. J Nurs Meas 3(2):109–126
Ritchie J, Spencer L, O’Connor W (2003) Carrying out qualitative analysis. In: Ritchie J, Lewis J (eds) Qualitative research practice. Sage, London, pp 219–262
Cox K, Wilson E, Heath L, Collier J, Johnston I (2006) Preferences for follow-up after treatment for lung cancer. Cancer Nurs 29(3):176–187
Osse B, Vernooij-Dassen M, Schade E, Grol R (2006) Problems experienced by the informal caregivers of cancer patients and their needs for support. Cancer Nurs 29(5):378–388
Kitson A (1999) The essence of nursing. Nurs Stand 13(23):42–46
Moore S, Sherwin A, Medina J, Ream E, Plant H, Richardson A (2005) Caring for carers: a prospective audit of nurse specialist contact with families and carers of patients with lung cancer. Eur J Oncol Nurs 10:207–211
Hudson P (2004) A critical review of supportive interventions for family caregivers of patients with palliative-stage cancer. J Psychosoc Oncol 22(4):77–92
Northouse LL (2005) Helping families of patients with cancer. Oncol Nurs Forum 32(4):743–750
Blackwood B (2006) Methodological issues in evaluating complex healthcare interventions. J Adv Nurs 54(5):612–622
Morse J (2005) Evolving trends in qualitative research: advances in mixed method design. Qual Health Res 15(5):583–585
Dumont S, Turgeon J, Allard P, Gagnon P, Charbonneau C, Vezina L (2006) Caring for a loved one with advanced cancer: determinants of psychological distress in family caregivers. Journal of Palliative Medicine 9(4):912–921
Acknowledgement
This study was supported by a grant from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charitable Foundation.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Richardson, A., Plant, H., Moore, S. et al. Developing supportive care for family members of people with lung cancer: a feasibility study. Support Care Cancer 15, 1259–1269 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-007-0233-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-007-0233-z