Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35120797›Full record

ArticlePatient education and counseling2022

The impact of COVID-19 on cancer patients, their carers and oncology health professionals: A qualitative study.

P Butow, P E Havard, Z Butt, Juraskova, L Sharpe, H Dhillon, L Beatty, P Beale, M Cigolini, B Kelly and 4 more

Open access · greenAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Patient education and counseling, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
2.8field-weighted citation impact, top 8% 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

9 citing papers in PubMed, 28 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Moral distress among family caregivers of people with cancer in palliative care: A qualitative study.Canadian oncology nursing journal = Revue canadienne de nursing oncologique · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Predicting psychological distress in advanced ovarian cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Stakeholder perspectives on the impact of COVID-19 on oncology services: a qualitative study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2023
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. 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

14 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.

P ButowPsycho-Oncology Co-operative Research Group (PoCoG), School of Psychology, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 Australia. Electronic address: phyllis.butow@sydney.edu.au.
P E HavardPsycho-Oncology Co-operative Research Group (PoCoG), School of Psychology, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 Australia.
Z ButtPsycho-Oncology Co-operative Research Group (PoCoG), School of Psychology, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 Australia.
JuraskovaPsycho-Oncology Co-operative Research Group (PoCoG), School of Psychology, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 Australia.
L SharpePsycho-Oncology Co-operative Research Group (PoCoG), School of Psychology, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 Australia.
H DhillonPsycho-Oncology Co-operative Research Group (PoCoG), School of Psychology, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 Australia.
L BeattyFlinders University, Órama Institute, College of Education, Psychology & Social Work, Adelaide, Australia.
P BealeConcord Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 Australia.
M CigoliniDepartment of Palliative Medicine, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Missenden Road, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia.
B KellySchool of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan NSW 2308, Australia.
R J ChanCaring Futures Institute, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia.
L KirstenNepean Cancer Care Centre, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia.
M BestInstitute for Ethics and Society, University of Notre Dame, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia.
J ShawPsycho-Oncology Co-operative Research Group (PoCoG), School of Psychology, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 Australia.
University of Sydney · AUFlinders University · AUNepean Hospital · AURoyal Prince Alfred Hospital · AUThe University of Notre Dame Australia · AUUniversity of Newcastle Australia · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveCancer patients, carers and oncology health professionals have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in many ways, but their experiences and psychosocial responses to the pandemic are still being explored. This study aimed to document the experience of Australians living with cancer, family carers, and Oncology health professionals (HPs) when COVID-19 first emerged.

methodsIn this qualitative study, participants (cancer patients currently receiving treatment, family carers and HPs) completed a semi-structured interview exploring their experiences of COVID-19 and the impact it had on cancer care. Participants also completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (patients) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (carers and HPs) to assess emotional morbidity. Thematic analysis was undertaken on qualitative data.

results32 patients, 16 carers and 29 HPs participated. Qualitative analysis yielded three shared themes: fear and death anxiety, isolation, and uncertainty. For HPs, uncertainty incorporated the potential for moral distress and work-stress. Patients and carers scoring high on anxiety/depression measures were more likely to have advanced disease, expressed greater death anxiety, talked about taking more extreme precautionary measures, and felt more impacted by isolation.

conclusionCancer and COVID-19 can have compounding psychological impacts on all those receiving or giving care. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Screening for distress in patients, and burnout in HPs, is recommended. Increased compassionate access and provision of creative alternatives to face-to-face support are warrented.

Indexed as

COVID-19NeoplasmsAnxietyAustraliaCaregiversHumansPandemicsCancerCancer patientsCoronavirusCOVIDCOVID-19Family members of cancer, patientsFear and death anxietyIsolationMoral distressOncologyOncology health professionalsPandemicPsycho-oncologyUncertaintyWork, stress

Identifiers

PMID35120797
PMCPMC8801619
OpenAlexW4210252209

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.