Table 2.
Specific Needs of Patients with Thyroid cancer that Contribute to a Strong Patient-Surgeon Relationship and Reassurance
| Patient Need | Description | Exemplary Quotations |
|---|---|---|
| Informational Support | Patients desired information about all aspects of care from the diagnosis, treatment options, surgery, to postoperative care. Having knowledge eased patients’ worries and provided peace of mind, while a lack of information caused distress. Patients particulary appreciated having their questions answered. | “Telling me about surgery really helped me understand what was going to happen, and what was important to think about. I felt much more relaxed and less fearful.” (P-33) |
| “The surgeon went over all the options, and I was very comfortable for someone who was just told that they have cancer.” (P-23) | ||
| “I felt better after talking to [the surgeon], ‘cause s/he went into good detail, and went over everything.” (P-34) | ||
| “[The surgeon] said, 99% of the time the cancer would go to the lymph nodes first, and s/he didn’t see that, so that was reassuring.” (P-27) | ||
| “[The surgeon] was open to questions. Like, any question and wasn’t like, ‘Oh, don’t worry about it.’ S/he answered everything and wasn’t like, ‘alright, cancer, bye’. That wouldn’t be very good.” (P-21) | ||
| “Well, if I don’t do anything, will I die? Like [the surgeon] didn’t really explain what my options were, it was just like…let’s move this right along.” (P-29) | ||
| Emotional Support | Patients needed emotional support from the surgeon. Actions that were comforting to patients, included surgeons taking their time, listening, and providing general support. A lack of support was anxiety inducing for patients. While most patients wanted emotional support, a few did not. | “[The surgeon] was very caring and very professional, you know? So that made me feel less worried.” (P-6) |
| “The [surgeon] did a great job being thorough and sensitive and taking time to listen.” (P-13) | ||
| “I want them to say, ‘You’ll be just fine,’ because I want that reassurance in my brain, in my head, that I’ll be just fine.” (P-18) | ||
| “I was not impressed with [the surgeon’s] bedside manner. It lacked the compassion that I think you need to have with people that are dealing with such a tremendous diagnosis.” (P-20) | ||
| “They wanted to spend a lot of time explaining, discussing, and coddling. I’m not that kind of person.” (P-7) | ||
| Treatment as an Individual | Patients wanted to be seen as a unique person by the surgeon. They preferred a personalized approach taking into account specifics of their case. Not meeting this need was discounting. | “Make a relationship [with the surgeon] so that when they’re cutting your throat… you’re that individual and not, ‘the 8th patient we’ve done today.’” (P-9, giving advice to future patients) |
| “Statistically is a question that might not be concerning to you, but it’s still concerning to me, the patient.” (P-12, giving advice to the surgeon) | ||
| “Make sure whatever generalization you’re doing, it’s specific for what you’re seeing in this individual.” (P-16, giving advice to the surgeon) | ||
| “I didn’t really feel like I was the only patient. You know, you want to feel like they’re gonna take care of you, and I didn’t really get that feeling.” (P-20) |
P-#: Participant number