Satisfaction with and perceived benefits of needs-assessment related to rehabilitation after chemotherapy among patients with breast cancer

Abstract

Purpose

To investigate satisfaction with and perceived benefits of a model of needs-assessment related to rehabilitation (NARR) in women with early breast cancer after (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy.

Materials and methods

Mixed methods were applied using survey (N = 200) along with interviews (N = 20). The survey included measurement of distress and self-assessed need of and satisfaction with the NARR. Type of experienced side/late effects were registered along with numbers of and reasons for referrals to rehabilitation. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative data were analyzed with thematic analysis.

Results

Overall, 217 patients participated in a NARR and 200 (92%) accepted participation in the survey. Furthermore, 20/37 (54%) invited patients were interviewed. After the NARR, 39 patients (20%) were referred to rehabilitation. While satisfaction was high, findings regarding distress and need of the NARR were equivocal and indicated a need for talking about experiences throughout the cancer trajectory.

Conclusions

While only 20% had rehabilitation needs, satisfaction with the NARR was high and patients benefitted from being confirmed in normality of their experiences. It is recommended to address patients’ side/late effects after chemotherapy for early breast cancer to identify rehabilitation needs, reduce distress, and improve quality of life.

IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION

• One fifth of patients with early breast cancer were referred to rehabilitation after needs-assessments conducted 2 months after chemotherapy termination.

• Higher distress and higher self-reported need were significantly associated with not working and experiencing a higher number of side effects/late effects.

• It is recommended to address patients’ side effects/late effects, including psychological distress, after termination of chemotherapy for early breast cancer to identify rehabilitation needs, reduce distress, and ultimately improve quality of life.

Keywords:

• Breast cancer
• chemotherapy
• needs-assessment
• rehabilitation
• satisfaction
• survey
• interviews

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.