Assessment of terminal cancer patients needs (through the ATCPN questionnaire): a comparison amongst different samples

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to compare the way in which terminal cancer patients and their doctors assess the necessities of this particular type of patient. The sample was constituted by 91 patients and 85 doctors selected from different hospitals in Mexico City. The participants from the two samples were asked to answer a printed questionnaire that assessed the relative relevance of medical, psychological, social, economic and spiritual needs of the patients. The questionnaire Assessment of Terminal Cancer Patient Needs (ATCPN) was built based on other similar questionnaires and complemented by items designed by the present work group. The final questionnaire was composed by 38 items that explored the needs of the patients in 5 different areas: medical, psychological, social, economic and spiritual. The questionnaire produced data that suggested its reliability, validity and internal consistency. The results also showed a considerable homogeneity in the assessments produced by the two samples. The highest priority of the patients was having faith in god or in a supreme being; the doctors favored the ability to cope with the feeling of being forsaken. Results were discussed in terms of their congruence with other studies on the subject.