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Identifying the informational and psychosocial needs of Chinese immigrant cancer patients: a focus group study

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Abstract

Purpose

The Chinese immigrant community faces multiple barriers to quality cancer care and cancer survivorship. Psychosocial interventions can positively impact quality of life, anxiety, and distress in cancer patients. In this study, we explored the informational and psychosocial needs of Chinese cancer patients to inform the development of culturally targeted support and survivorship interventions.

Methods

We conducted four focus groups with a total of 28 Chinese cancer patients to elucidate their cancer informational and psychosocial needs. The groups were conducted using standard methodology and guided by community-based participatory research principles. Sessions were audio recorded, transcribed, and translated into English. The research team conducted the analysis.

Results

Frequently occurring themes included (1) the need for accurate information on cancer and treatment options, (2) the role of language barriers in accessing cancer care, (3) the role of food in cancer and the need for nutritional information, and (4) the role of Chinese medicine in cancer treatment. Participants expressed significant dissatisfaction with the amount, reliability, and/or comprehensibility of available information.

Conclusions

Support groups and programs should be developed to address participants’ needs for more information on cancer and its treatment. Programs should educate and empower patients on how to find further Chinese language information and resources and effectively communicate their questions and needs to providers in an interpreted encounter. System-level approaches should be implemented to ensure provision of interpretation services. Additionally, programs should incorporate the unique cultural needs of this population related to food/nutrition and Chinese medicine.

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Conflict of interest

This study had no specific funding. None of the authors have any conflicts of interest. The corresponding author has a full control of all primary data and agrees to allow the journal to review the data if requested.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 300 E. 66th Street, 15th Floor, New York, NY, 10065, USA

    Jennifer Leng, Trevor Lee, Yanjun Li, Connie Cheng & Francesca Gany

  2. Department of Medicine, Center for Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 300 E. 66th Street, 15th Floor, New York, NY, 10065, USA

    Jennifer Leng & Francesca Gany

  3. Department of Surgery, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Umut Sarpel

  4. American Cancer Society Asian Initiatives, New York, NY, USA

    Jessy Lau & Ming-der Chang

Authors
  1. Jennifer Leng
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  2. Trevor Lee
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  3. Umut Sarpel
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  4. Jessy Lau
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  5. Yanjun Li
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  6. Connie Cheng
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  7. Ming-der Chang
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  8. Francesca Gany
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jennifer Leng.

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Leng, J., Lee, T., Sarpel, U. et al. Identifying the informational and psychosocial needs of Chinese immigrant cancer patients: a focus group study. Support Care Cancer 20, 3221–3229 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-012-1464-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-012-1464-1

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