Supportive Care in Cancer
Volume 24, Issue 6, 2016, Pages 2403-2410

It’s all good on the surface: care coordination experiences of migrant cancer patients in Australia (Article)

Shaw J.M.* , Shepherd H.L. , Durcinoska I. , Butow P.N. , Liauw W. , Goldstein D. , Young J.M.
  • a School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia, Psycho-oncology Co-operative Research Group (PoCoG), Chris O’Brien Lifehouse (C39Z), The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • b School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia, Psycho-oncology Co-operative Research Group (PoCoG), Chris O’Brien Lifehouse (C39Z), The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • c School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • d School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia, Psycho-oncology Co-operative Research Group (PoCoG), Chris O’Brien Lifehouse (C39Z), The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • e St George Hospital, South Eastern Sydney Local Health, Sydney, Australia
  • f Prince of Wales Hospital, South Eastern Sydney Local Health, Sydney, Australia
  • g School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Abstract

Purpose: Migrants diagnosed with cancer in Australia have high unmet need and poorer psychosocial outcomes than comparable Australian-born patients. It is possible that migrants also experience worse coordination of their cancer care. The purpose of this study was to describe migrant patients’ experience of care coordination to inform the development of items for inclusion in a cancer care coordination questionnaire sensitive to the specific cultural needs of these patients. Methods: Eighteen Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Arabic and Macedonian patients and carers from two metropolitan cancer centres in Sydney, Australia, were recruited. Two focus groups and 11 telephone interviews were conducted in the participants’ own language. A semi-structured interview format was utilised to qualitatively explore participants’ experiences of cancer care coordination during treatment. Themes were identified using a thematic analysis. Results: Cancer care was generally perceived to be well coordinated. Four themes were identified that impacted on the quality of care coordination as a direct result of a patient’s migrant status: (1) the impact of language on understanding and information access, (2) the role of interpreters and (3) access to services and (4) understanding the roles and responsibilities of the team. Conclusions: Despite their care generally being well coordinated, migrants require additional assistance such as information in a form appropriate to their language proficiency and understanding of the new health system. Development of a culturally specific measure of cancer care coordination will enable evaluation of future strategies to improve care. © 2015, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Author Keywords

care coordination cancer Migrants interviews focus groups

Index Keywords

information processing personal experience cultural anthropology health care management China patient care Chinese cancer patient cancer center Australia Neoplasms human middle aged health service priority journal Arab Patient Care Management health care distribution language Cultural Competency ethnology Arabs procedures Health Services Needs and Demand cultural competence Surveys and Questionnaires Humans migrant psychology responsibility male semi structured interview female questionnaire standards Article thematic analysis major clinical study adult migration Macedonia (republic) health care quality Macedonian (people) health care need Transients and Migrants Healthcare Disparities health care disparity health practitioner Focus Groups
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84949523312&doi=10.1007%2fs00520-015-3043-8&partnerID=40&md5=eada454d6ad4ce5e8819ea5515e82d1f
DOI: 10.1007/s00520-015-3043-8
ISSN: 09414355
Cited by: 8
Original Language: English