Oncologist responses to advanced cancer patients’ lived illness experiences and effects: an applied conversation analysis study
Abstract Background An advanced cancer patient’s life is often disturbed by fear of cancer recurrence, cancer progress, approaching suffering, and fear of dying. Consequently, the role of the medical oncologist is not only to provide best quality anti-cancer treatment, but also to address the impact...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-03-01
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| Series: | BMC Palliative Care |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-022-00917-4 |
| _version_ | 1818442318042103808 |
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| author | Jacqueline van Meurs Wyke Stommel Carlo Leget Joep van de Geer Evelien Kuip Kris Vissers Yvonne Engels Anne Wichmann |
| author_facet | Jacqueline van Meurs Wyke Stommel Carlo Leget Joep van de Geer Evelien Kuip Kris Vissers Yvonne Engels Anne Wichmann |
| author_sort | Jacqueline van Meurs |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background An advanced cancer patient’s life is often disturbed by fear of cancer recurrence, cancer progress, approaching suffering, and fear of dying. Consequently, the role of the medical oncologist is not only to provide best quality anti-cancer treatment, but also to address the impact of disease and treatment on a patient’s life, the lived illness experience. We aimed to gain insights into whether and how medical oncologists working at an outpatient clinic identify and explore lived illness experiences raised by patients with advanced cancer, and how this influences patients’ responses. Methods Conversation Analysis was applied to analyse 16 verbatim transcribed audio-recorded consultations. Results We identified 37 fragments in which patients expressed a lived experience from 11 of the 16 consultations. We found differing responses from different oncologists. Patients continued talking about their lived experiences if the listener produced a continuer such as humming or tried to capture the experience in their own words. In contrast, a response with optimistic talking or the presentation of medical evidence prevented patients from further unfolding the experience. In consultations in which the lived illness experience was most extensively unfolded, medical oncologists and patients could constantly see each other’s facial expressions. Conclusions When a patient with advanced cancer spontaneously introduces a lived illness experience, it helps to identify and explore it when the medical oncologist produces a continuer or tries to capture this experience in their own words. Our findings can be implemented in training sessions, followed by frequent reinforcement in daily care. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T18:42:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6d07337ae21642c8b67c724e4b7ed7a7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-684X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T18:42:14Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Palliative Care |
| spelling | doaj.art-6d07337ae21642c8b67c724e4b7ed7a72022-12-21T22:51:28ZengBMCBMC Palliative Care1472-684X2022-03-012111910.1186/s12904-022-00917-4Oncologist responses to advanced cancer patients’ lived illness experiences and effects: an applied conversation analysis studyJacqueline van Meurs0Wyke Stommel1Carlo Leget2Joep van de Geer3Evelien Kuip4Kris Vissers5Yvonne Engels6Anne Wichmann7Department of Spiritual and Pastoral Care & Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Medical CentreCentre for Language Studies, Radboud UniversityDepartment of Care and Welfare, University of Humanistic StudiesAcademic Hospice DemeterDepartment of Medical Oncology & Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Medical CentreDepartment of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Medical CentreDepartment of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Medical CentreDepartment of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Medical CentreAbstract Background An advanced cancer patient’s life is often disturbed by fear of cancer recurrence, cancer progress, approaching suffering, and fear of dying. Consequently, the role of the medical oncologist is not only to provide best quality anti-cancer treatment, but also to address the impact of disease and treatment on a patient’s life, the lived illness experience. We aimed to gain insights into whether and how medical oncologists working at an outpatient clinic identify and explore lived illness experiences raised by patients with advanced cancer, and how this influences patients’ responses. Methods Conversation Analysis was applied to analyse 16 verbatim transcribed audio-recorded consultations. Results We identified 37 fragments in which patients expressed a lived experience from 11 of the 16 consultations. We found differing responses from different oncologists. Patients continued talking about their lived experiences if the listener produced a continuer such as humming or tried to capture the experience in their own words. In contrast, a response with optimistic talking or the presentation of medical evidence prevented patients from further unfolding the experience. In consultations in which the lived illness experience was most extensively unfolded, medical oncologists and patients could constantly see each other’s facial expressions. Conclusions When a patient with advanced cancer spontaneously introduces a lived illness experience, it helps to identify and explore it when the medical oncologist produces a continuer or tries to capture this experience in their own words. Our findings can be implemented in training sessions, followed by frequent reinforcement in daily care.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-022-00917-4Advanced cancerPalliative careCommunicationLived illness experienceOncologistsOutpatients |
| spellingShingle | Jacqueline van Meurs Wyke Stommel Carlo Leget Joep van de Geer Evelien Kuip Kris Vissers Yvonne Engels Anne Wichmann Oncologist responses to advanced cancer patients’ lived illness experiences and effects: an applied conversation analysis study BMC Palliative Care Advanced cancer Palliative care Communication Lived illness experience Oncologists Outpatients |
| title | Oncologist responses to advanced cancer patients’ lived illness experiences and effects: an applied conversation analysis study |
| title_full | Oncologist responses to advanced cancer patients’ lived illness experiences and effects: an applied conversation analysis study |
| title_fullStr | Oncologist responses to advanced cancer patients’ lived illness experiences and effects: an applied conversation analysis study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Oncologist responses to advanced cancer patients’ lived illness experiences and effects: an applied conversation analysis study |
| title_short | Oncologist responses to advanced cancer patients’ lived illness experiences and effects: an applied conversation analysis study |
| title_sort | oncologist responses to advanced cancer patients lived illness experiences and effects an applied conversation analysis study |
| topic | Advanced cancer Palliative care Communication Lived illness experience Oncologists Outpatients |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-022-00917-4 |
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