What are the barriers of quality survivorship care for haematology cancer patients? Qualitative insights from cancer nurses

Abstract

Purpose: Many haematological cancer survivors report long-term physiological and psychosocial effects beyond treatment completion. These survivors continue to experience impaired quality of life (QoL) as a result of their disease and aggressive treatment. As key members of the multidisciplinary team, the purpose of this study is to examine the insights of cancer nurses to inform future developments in survivorship care provision.

Methods: Open text qualitative responses from two prospective Australian cross-sectional surveys of nurses (n = 136) caring for patients with haematological cancer. Data were analysed thematically, using an inductive approach to identify themes.

Results: This study has identified a number of issues that nurses perceive as barriers to quality survivorship care provision. Two main themes were identified: the first relating to the challenges nurses face in providing care ('care challenges') and the second relating to the challenges of providing survivorship care within contemporary health care systems ('system challenges').

Conclusions: Cancer nurses perceive the nature of haematological cancer and its treatment and of the health care system itself, as barriers to the provision of quality survivorship care. Care challenges such as the lack of a standard treatment path and the relapsing or remitting nature of haematological cancers may be somewhat intractable, but system challenges relating to clearly defining and delineating professional responsibilities and exchanging information with other clinicians are not.

Implications for cancer survivors: Addressing the issues identified will facilitate cancer nurses' provision of survivorship care and help address haematological survivors' needs with regard to the physical and psychosocial consequences of their cancer and treatment.

Keywords: Delivery of health care; Haematological cancer; Nurse; Post-treatment; Survivorship; Survivorship care models.