Unmet supportive care needs and desire for assistance in patients receiving radiation treatment: Implications for oncology nursing

Unmet supportive care needs can contribute to emotional distress and reduced quality of life for cancer patients. We undertook a supportive care needs assessment for patients undergoing radiation therapy to provide a basis for program planning. A self-report supportive care needs survey was completed by a convenience sample of 115 patients on days five, seven and 16 during their course of radiation. The most frequently identified physical unmet needs at all three times were fatigue (33%–49%), dry and itchy skin (24%–37%), and sleep difficulties (23%–30%). The number of patients citing these unmet needs increased significantly over the study time period. Within the emotional domain, worry (34.5%) was cited most frequently on day five. The number of individuals expressing worry did not decrease significantly by day 16. Across all domains and individual items, there was wide variation in the percentage of individuals who had an unmet need and also indicated they wanted help with that unmet need. This pattern remained consistent over time. This study emphasizes the need for a defined or intentional process to assess supportive care needs and patient desire for assistance or help with unmet needs