How a cancer education group serves the underserved: 鈥楩amily鈥?ties and battling cancer

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• 作者：Daniel Dohan^a ; ^{daniel.dohan@ucsf.edu} ; Robertina Szolarova^b ; Blue Walcer^c
• 关键词：Cancer ; Underserved ; Health education ; Poverty ; Qualitative research
• 刊名：Patient Education and Counseling
• 出版年：2012
• 期刊代码：217_07383991
• 类别：med
• 出版时间：May, 2012
• 卷：87
• 期：2
• 页码：212-216
• 文件大小：195 K

摘要

Objective

Socially disadvantaged cancer patients have unmet educational needs, but we know little about how educational groups might help. This exploratory study examines how a group education program met underserved patients鈥?needs.

Methods

We examined a program for US patients in a safety-net hospital that featured English and Spanish language groups. We collected data from 54 group sessions over 28 months, including information on participant demographics, attendance, and satisfaction. Qualitative field notes collected by trained observers were analyzed via a grounded-theory approach to examine group dynamics.

Results

Participants were underserved, had diverse disease sites and race/ethnicity, and reported that groups met their needs. Emergent analysis identified two themes related to group dynamics. First, members identified with each other as a fictive family, although the meaning of 鈥渇amily鈥?differed in the groups. Second, groups focused on battling cancer not adjusting to life as a survivor鈥攁 focus that impaired participants鈥?ability to discuss coping strategies for managing negative feelings.

Conclusion

Fictive 鈥榝amily鈥?engages participants. The emphasis on 鈥榝amily鈥?and resistance to coping strategies may reflect participants鈥?social disadvantages.

Practice implications

Groups for the underserved should strive to create a 鈥榝amily鈥?and may have difficulty helping participants cope with their illness.