Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Language

English

Publication Date

5-15-2024

Journal

Supportive Care in Cancer

DOI

10.1007/s00520-024-08565-5

PMID

38748294

PMCID

PMC11970556

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

5-15-2025

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Author MSS

Abstract

Purpose: Oncology patients often struggle to manage their medications and related adverse events during transitions of care. They are expected to take an active role in self-monitoring and timely reporting of their medication safety events or concerns to clinicians. The purpose of this study was to explore the factors influencing oncology patients' willingness to report adverse events or concerns related to their medication after their transitions back home.

Methods: A qualitative interview study was conducted with adult patients with breast, prostate, lung, or colorectal cancer who experienced care transitions within the previous year. A semi-structured interview guide was developed to understand patients' perceptions of reporting mediation-related safety events or concerns from home. All interviews were conducted via phone calls, recorded, and transcribed for thematic data analysis.

Results: A total of 41 individuals participated in the interviews. Three main themes and six subthemes emerged, including patients' perceived relationship with clinicians (the quality of communication and trust in clinicians), perceived severity of adverse medication events (perceived severe vs. non-severe events), and patient activation in self-management (self-efficacy in self-management and engagement in monitoring health outcomes).

Conclusion: The patient-clinician relationship significantly affects patients' reporting behaviors, which can potentially interact with other factors, including the severity of adverse events. It is important to engage oncology patients in medication safety self-reporting from home by enhancing health communication, understanding patients' perceptions of severe events, and promoting patient activation. By addressing these efforts, healthcare providers should adopt a more patient-centered approach to enhance the overall quality and safety of oncological care.

Keywords

Humans, Female, Male, Qualitative Research, Middle Aged, Aged, Neoplasms, Adult, Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions, Physician-Patient Relations, Interviews as Topic, Communication, Antineoplastic Agents, Aged, 80 and over, Self-Management, Patient Participation, Medication safety, Adverse drug events, Health communication, Transitions of care, Patient engagement

Published Open-Access

yes

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