Overcoming Barriers to Emotional and Physical Support in Cancer Care

Emotional barriers patients face when communicating with their healthcare team can be tough to overcome, according to Anne M. Reb, who added that patients often hesitate to share their fears unless prompted.

Reb sat down for an interview with CURE at the 50th Annual Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Congress. The ONS Congress, according to the ONS website, is an oncology conference which offers an array of educational sessions on the latest research, clinical practices and advancements in the field.

In the interview, she discussed significant emotional and physical barriers which patients face when seeking support for fear of cancer progression. Reb is a nurse practitioner who holds a PhD, as well as an assistant professor in the Division of Nursing Research and Education within the Department of Population Sciences at City of Hope, located in Duarte, California.

Transcript:

Yes, I think sometimes patients are afraid to bring [up their emotional concerns] to their healthcare team. They think, "Oh, they're taking care of my physical symptoms. They're helping me get through this treatment," so, patients don't always feel comfortable talking about their emotional feelings or their fears. Moreover, the healthcare team sometimes doesn't ask. Therefore, it's really important for us as nurses and doctors to ask the patient, "How are you doing? How are you coping with this?" because then it gives patients permission to really speak up about it.

Another barrier that we see with patients with stage 3 or stage 4 cancer is fatigue. About half of the patients in our studies were on chemotherapy, going through radiation treatments and were experiencing fatigue and other symptoms. They wondered if participating in [an] intervention was something they were going to be able to do, if it was going to be realistic, if they would feel up to doing it, and if they would have the time. So, we encouraged them by emphasizing that this is very much at their own pace. It's a hybrid intervention, incorporating self-study and group support, and I think that made people feel a little more comfortable. But I think we, as researchers and clinicians, have to realize that we must ensure that our interventions and what we teach are very bite-sized, very manageable and something that patients can feel they can accomplish and be successful at.

It's also important to convey that patients don't have to do it perfectly, because I think a lot of times people believe they have to really master this skill perfectly. Some of the videos that we have [patients] listen to, say you don't have to do it perfectly. It's OK. Everyone's mind wanders. So, I think giving patients permission to give it their best shot, but knowing that it doesn't have to be great, is important.

Transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

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