Issues, needs and concerns of women with breast cancer in rural areas

2014 Conference

Abstract:

Rationale and aims
Conducted by members of Breast Cancer Care’s Service User Research Partnership (SURP) this study aimed to identify the needs and concerns of women who had completed treatment for primary breast cancer living in remote and rural (R&R) areas of Scotland.

Methods
In 2013, a mixed method study was undertaken involving a survey of supportive care needs with women living in R&R areas of Scotland. Semi-structured in-depth telephone interviews with 9 of the women reporting the greatest needs followed. Interviews were conducted by SURP members located in Scotland, with personal experience of breast cancer.

Results
The key themes that arose from the qualitative findings were linked to women’s experiences of a lack of appropriate information about their diagnosis and treatment. There was also discussion of systemic problems such as long waits for diagnosis and extraneous issues including difficulties travelling to appointments.

Conclusions and recommendations
Findings suggest that women living in R&R areas of Scotland do have issues resulting from their geographical location and distance to and from their treatment centre. We recommend that a 1-stop service is offered to these women – linking together all aspects of treatment thus minimising the patient’s travelling time and disruption to home life. We hope that people will learn more about the needs of women living in rural and remote areas but also the impact it has had on the learning and development of the researchers in the context of exploring the needs of those diagnosed with breast cancer when the researchers have had personal experience of this.

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