Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30586391›Full record

ArticlePloS one2018

The "sphere of care": A qualitative study of colorectal cancer patient and caregiver experiences of support within the cancer treatment setting.

Eleanor Law, Janelle V Levesque, Sylvie Lambert, Afaf Girgis

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
23citing papers in PubMed
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

23 citing papers in PubMed, 47 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. A qualitative exploration of patient perspectives regarding patient education during their colorectal surgical experience.Colorectal disease : the official journal of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland · 2026
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Experiences of colorectal cancer patients in Australia: a qualitative study on specialised nursing and supportive care.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
    Article
  6. Indicators of maladaptive emotions in patients with cancer as assessed by oncologists and nurses.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Article
  7. Article
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  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. The needs of colorectal cancer patients/survivors: A narrative review.Journal of education and health promotion · 2022
    Review
  19. Article
  20. Informal caregiver well-being during and after patients' treatment with adjuvant chemotherapy for colon cancer: a prospective, exploratory study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2021
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Eleanor LawACT Health, Canberra, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-6536-9488
Janelle V LevesqueCentre for Oncology Education and Research Translation (CONCERT), Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, Australia.
Sylvie LambertIngram School of Nursing, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Afaf GirgisCentre for Oncology Education and Research Translation (CONCERT), Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, Australia.
UNSW Sydney · AUMcGill University · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionColorectal cancer is associated with considerable physical and psychosocial burden. Whilst social support is known to facilitate psychological adjustment to cancer, patients' and caregivers' experiences of social support within a treatment setting and their perceptions of the role of the treating team in providing this support is unknown. Specifically, there is a gap in the research that explores in detail who people affected by colorectal cancer consider to be supportive, and the function, timing and nature of this support, whilst receiving treatment. This study explored both patients' and caregivers' a) experiences of social support and how this relates to their experience of treatment; and b) what facilitates support in the treatment setting.

methodsIndividual interviews (N = 20) were conducted with patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer and caregivers of such patients. Audiotaped interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using the framework method.

resultsThree major themes emerged from the data: a) treating team as a source of support, highlighting the importance of connection with the treating team; b) changes in existing social supports, encompassing issues regarding distance in interpersonal relationships as a consequence of cancer; and c) differing dimensions of support, exploring the significance of shared experience, practical, financial, and emotional support.

conclusionsPatients and caregivers perceived the treating team as a major source of support. Support from the treating team was particularly important in the context of the changes that occur as a result of a diagnosis of colorectal cancer and the effects of subsequent treatment. Incidental support from others encountered in the treatment setting was also experienced and was equally important to both patients and caregivers. This has implications for the way health care professionals respond to both patients and caregivers in the treatment setting in terms of communication, interventions and environment.

Indexed as

Patient Care TeamProfessional-Patient RelationsSocial SupportAdaptation, PsychologicalAdultAgedAged, 80 and overCaregiversColorectal NeoplasmsCost of IllnessFamilyFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedQualitative Research

Identifiers

PMID30586391
PMCPMC6306237
OpenAlexW2906348427

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.