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Measuring information needs among cancer patients.
I Mesters1, B van den Borne, M De Boer
1Department of Health Education, Faculty of Health Sciences, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands. i.mesters@gvo.unimaas.nl
Patient Education and Counseling
|June 1, 2001
Summary
This study developed and validated a scale to measure cancer patients' information needs, finding distinct disease- and action-oriented needs. These needs correlate with psychological distress and change over time, particularly concerning treatment information.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Psychometrics
- Health Psychology
Background:
- Assessing cancer patients' information needs is crucial for supportive care.
- Existing instruments may not fully capture the multidimensional nature of these needs.
- Validated tools are essential for research and clinical practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To construct and validate a scale for assessing cancer patients' information needs.
- To examine the factor structure, construct validity, and psychometric properties of the new scale.
- To evaluate the scale's sensitivity to change over the course of cancer treatment.
Main Methods:
- Two studies were conducted for scale development and validation.
- Study 1 (n=498) involved patients with breast cancer and Hodgkin disease to determine factor structure.
- Study 2 (n=133) with head and neck cancer patients assessed construct validity and sensitivity to change across multiple time points post-treatment.
Main Results:
- A two-factor structure (disease-oriented and action-oriented scales, 17 items) was identified in Study 1 and confirmed in Study 2.
- Higher information needs were associated with increased state anxiety, depression, and psychological complaints.
- Information needs regarding disease and treatment were less stable over time compared to needs for accessing help and solutions.
Conclusions:
- The developed scale effectively measures cancer patients' information needs, distinguishing between disease- and action-oriented aspects.
- The scale demonstrates construct validity and sensitivity to change, correlating with psychological distress.
- Further validation is recommended, but the scale shows promise for assessing information needs in oncology care.