An Examination of the Concrete Service Needs of Advanced Cancer Patients

Abstract

Much effort has been directed toward understanding the psychological needs of cancer patients. However, since health policy trends and improved cancer survival may act to increase the prevalence and severity of concrete service needs, understanding patients' needs for those services is vital. Needs assessment data collected from 217 cancer patients and family members who were already receiving agency services were used to examine the interrelationships among three categories of need: physical, instrumental, and administrative. Categories of need also were examined as a function of emotional and financial burden. Patients experienced a constellation of needs involving more than one category. Age, duration of disease, education, income, sex, marital status, living arrangements, and pain status were found to be related to degree of need within categories. The results can be used to identify patients and families at risk for needing services that will maintam their compliance with treatment and increase their quality of life.