Skip Navigation


Family Practice Advance Access originally published online on March 5, 2009
Family Practice 2009 26(3):221-230; doi:10.1093/fampra/cmp004
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
26/3/221    most recent
cmp004v1
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Mikkelsen, T.
Right arrow Articles by Olesen, F.
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Mikkelsen, T.
Right arrow Articles by Olesen, F.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org.

Cancer survivors' rehabilitation needs in a primary health care context

Thorbjørn Mikkelsena, Jens Sondergaarda, Ineta Sokolowskia, Anders Jensenb and Frede Olesena

a The Research Unit for General Practice, University of Aarhus, Aarhus
b Department of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark

Correspondence to Thorbjørn Mikkelsen, The Research Unit for General Practice, University of Aarhus, Vennelyst Boulevard 6, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark; Email: thm{at}alm.au.dk

Received 4 March 2008; Revised 29 December 2008; Accepted 14 January 2009.


  Abstract

Background. Studies of cancer survivors’ rehabilitation needs have mostly addressed specific areas of needs, e.g. physical aspects and/or rehabilitation needs in relation to specific cancer types.

Objective. To assess cancer survivors’ perceived need for physical and psychosocial rehabilitation, whether these needs have been presented to and discussed with their GP.

Methods. A survey among a cohort of cancer survivors approximately 15 months after diagnosis. The questionnaire consisted of an ad hoc questionnaire on rehabilitation needs and the two validated questionnaires, the SF-12 and the Research and Treatment of Cancer quality of life questionnaire, the QLQ C-30 version 3.

Results. Among 534 eligible patients, we received 353 (66.1%) answers. Two-thirds of the cancer survivors had discussed physical rehabilitation needs with their GPs. Many (51%) feared cancer relapse, but they rarely presented this fear to the GP or the hospital staff. The same applied to social problems and problems within the family. Good physical and mental condition and low confidence in the GP were associated with no contact to the GP after hospital discharge.

Conclusion. Cancer survivors have many psychosocial rehabilitation needs and intervention should effectively target these needs. If this task is assigned to the GPs, they need to be proactive when assessing psychosocial aspects.

Keywords. Cancer, continuity of patient care, family medicine, neoplasms, rehabilitation.

Mikkelsen T, Sondergaard J, Sokolowski I, Jensen A and Olesen F. Cancer survivors’ rehabilitation needs in a primary health care context. Family Practice 2009; 26: 221–230.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.