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. 2020 Dec 21;15(12):e0244355.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244355. eCollection 2020.

Ascertaining breast cancer patient experiences through a journey map: A qualitative study protocol

Laura Ciria-Suarez  1 , Paula Jiménez-Fonseca  2 , María Palacín-Lois  3 , Mónica Antoñanzas-Basa  4 , Ana Férnández-Montes  5 , Aranzazu Manzano-Fernández  4 , Beatriz Castelo  6 , Elena Asensio-Martínez  7 , Susana Hernando-Polo  8 , Caterina Calderon  1
Affiliations

Ascertaining breast cancer patient experiences through a journey map: A qualitative study protocol

Laura Ciria-Suarez et al. PLoS One. .

Update in

  • Breast cancer patient experiences through a journey map: A qualitative study.
    Ciria-Suarez L, Jiménez-Fonseca P, Palacín-Lois M, Antoñanzas-Basa M, Fernández-Montes A, Manzano-Fernández A, Castelo B, Asensio-Martínez E, Hernando-Polo S, Calderon C. Ciria-Suarez L, et al. PLoS One. 2021 Sep 22;16(9):e0257680. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257680. eCollection 2021. PLoS One. 2021. PMID: 34550996 Free PMC article.

Abstract

Background: The current cancer care system must be improved if we are to have in-depth knowledge about breast cancer patients' experiences throughout all the stages of their disease.

Aim: This study seeks to describe breast cancer patients' experience over the course of the various stages of illness by means of a journey model.

Methods: This is a qualitative descriptive study. Individual, semi-structured interviews will be administered to women with breast cancer and breast cancer survivors. Patients will be recruited from nine large hospitals in Spain and intentional sampling will be used. Data will be collected by means of a semi-structured interview that was elaborated with the help of medical oncologists, nurses, and psycho-oncologists. Data will be processed adopting a thematic analysis approach.

Discussion: The outcomes of this study will afford new insights into breast cancer patients' experiences, providing guidance to improve the care given to these individuals. This protocol aims to describe the journey of patients with breast cancer through the healthcare system to establish baseline data that will serve as the basis for the development and implementation of a patient-centered, evidence-based clinical pathway.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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