Overcoming barriers to delivering information to cancer patients

The benefits of providing high quality information to patients are well documented, and include promoting active participation in decision-making and improved psychological and physical well-being. Within this article the need for high quality information is discussed and some of the common pitfalls in producing patient information are examined and suggestions for avoiding these pitfalls are proposed. The article looks at some of the problems in ensuring that those people who require information have access to it, specifically the potential barriers that may arise because of ethnic background, gender and social class, and recommendations to reduce the impact of such factors are made. The implications for the practice of all healthcare professionals caring for people with cancer are evident.