Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Daily living needs of cancer outpatients

  • Articles
  • Published:
Journal of Community Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The proportion of patients who receive intensive medical treatment outside the hospital environment has increased steadily over the past two decades. Active cancer chemotherapy outpatients (N=413) receiving treatment in the community were surveyed to document the prevalence and to identify the correlates of their daily living needs. Overall, 90% of the sample required help with some type of Personal, Instrumental or Administrative activity. Patients reported need for assistance with heavy housekeeping, shopping and completion of forms and paperwork most often. More than one-quarter (26.7%) of those requiring help reported that their need was unmet. Males, patients reporting poor physical functioning, and patients with children at home reported a greater level of need. Unmet need varied as a function of level of confidence in the ability of others to provide help, the number of helpers available as well as level of physical functioning and age. The relation between these results and potential intervention strategies to assist patients in meeting their needs is discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ratkowski A, Liebermann R, Hochman A. Day care for cancer patientsJAMA 230:430–431, 1974

    Google Scholar 

  2. Isler C. Emerging in cancer care: The regional ambulatory center.RN 40:33–46, 1977.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Mason JC, Louks JL, Burmer GC, Scher M. The efficacy of partial hospitalization: A review of the literature.International Journal of Partial Hospitalization 1:251–269, 1982.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Mor V, Stalker MZ, Gralla R, Scher HI, Cimma C, Park D, et al. Day hospital as an alternative to inpatient care for cancer patients: A random assignment trial.J Clin Epi 41:771–785, 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Special Committee on Aging.Home care at the crossroads. (Serial No. 100-H). Washington, DC: United States Senate, 1983.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Wool M, Guadagnoli E, Thomas M, Mor V. Negotiating concrete needs: Short-term training for high risk cancer patients.Health and Social Work 14:184–195, 1989.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Pfeiffer E. (Ed.)Multidimensional functional assessment: The OARS methodology. Durham, NC: Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Fillenbaum, GG.Multidimensional functional assessment of older adults. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Earlbaum Associates, Inc., 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Mor V, Guadagnoli, E, Wool, M. An examination of the concrete service needs of advanced cancer patients.J Psychosocial Oncology 5:1–17, 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Katz S, Downs TD, Cash HR et al. Progress in the development of the index of ADL.The Gerontologist 10:20–30, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Spector WD, Katz S, Murphy JB. Fulton JP. The hierarchical relationship between activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living.J Chronic Diseases 40:481–489, 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Spitzer WO, Dobson AJ, Hall J, Chesterman E, Levi J et al. Measuring the quality of life of cancer patients: A concise QL-index for use by physicians.J Chronic Diseases 34:585–597, 1981.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Mor V. Cancer patients' quality of life over the disease course: Lessons from the real world.J Chronic Diseases. 40:535–544, 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Wiggins JS.Personality and prediction: Principals of personality assessment. Reading MA: Addison-Wesley, 1980 Pp 223–274.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Houts PS, Yasko JM, Kahn B, Schelzel GW et al. Unmet psychological, social, and economic needs of persons with cancer in Pennsylvania.Cancer 58:2355–2361, 1986.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Lawton MP. The functional assessment of elderly people.J Am Geriatrics Society 19:465–481, 1972.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Morris J, Sherwood S. Informal support resources for vulnerable elderly persons: Can they be counted on, why do they work.Inter J of Aging and Human Devel 18:81–98, 1983/1984.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Kane RA, Kane RL.Assessing the elderly. Lexington, MA: DC Heath, 1981.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Street, Parcel B - 1st Floor, 02115, Boston, Massachusetts

    Edward Guadagnoli PhD (Assistant Professor of Health Care Policy)

Authors
  1. Edward Guadagnoli PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Vincent Mor PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Edward Guadagnoli, PhD is Assistant Professor of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Department of Health Care Policy, 25 Shattuck Street, Parcel B - 1st Floor, Boston, MA 02115. Vincent Mor, PhD is Director, Center for Gerontology and Health Care Research, Associate Professor of Medical Science, Department of Community Health, Box G, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912. This research was supported in part by NCI Grant # CA 41020.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Guadagnoli, E., Mor, V. Daily living needs of cancer outpatients. J Community Health 16, 37–47 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01340467

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01340467

Keywords

Search

Navigation