Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38041168›Full record

ArticleBMC psychology2023

Cancer patients' needs for volunteer services during Covid-19: a mixed-method exploratory study.

Sara Alfieri, Laura Gangeri, Simonetta Sborea, Claudia Borreani

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC psychology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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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.

Sara AlfieriClinical Psychology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Venezian 1, Milan, 20133, Italy.
Laura GangeriClinical Psychology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Venezian 1, Milan, 20133, Italy. laura.gangeri@istitutotumori.mi.it.
Simonetta SboreaLega Italiana per la Lotta contro i Tumori (LILT), Milan, Italy.
Claudia BorreaniClinical Psychology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Venezian 1, Milan, 20133, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionTo date, there are no known studies that have investigated the new need for volunteer services among cancer patients during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, it is essential for volunteer associations to heighten such knowledge to best guide their offer in this challenging period.

aimThe present study aims to provide a mapping of the cancer patients' needs for volunteer services followed at Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori in Milan (Italy) during the Covid-19 pandemic. Since there are no specific questionnaires for this purpose, we created an ad hoc tool for which we report the preliminary result.

methodWe used a mixed-method multiphase approach. PHASE I: in April-May 2020 40 ad hoc paper questionnaires were distributed at the entrance of the aforementioned hospital, with the aim of investigating patients' needs through two open-ended questions then analyzed through thematic analysis. PHASE II: the contents that emerged from Phase I were transformed into items and submitted to the judgment of a small group of "peers" (patients) and "experts" (professionals) in November-December 2020 to evaluate their comprehensiveness, representativeness and intrusiveness. Phase III: in January-February 2021 paper questionnaires, containing the items reviewed in Phase II, were distributed within the hospital to a representative sample of cancer patients. We applied descriptive statistics, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Cronbach's Alpha.

results32 patients completed Phase I, 3 "peers" and 9 "experts" participated in Phase II, 214 patients completed the questionnaire in Phase III. EFA highlights five kinds of needs during the Covid-19 pandemic, in order of priority: (1) need to be supported at the hospital; (2) need for emotional support; (3) need for daily errands; (4) need for practical support to family members; (5) need to share free time. Preliminary results on the tool are encouraging, although further studies are needed. These results will allow local volunteer associations to adapt their services during the pandemic.

Indexed as

COVID-19NeoplasmsHumansItalyPandemicsSurveys and QuestionnairesCovid-19 pandemicMixed methodsOncologyPatients’ needsVolunteer services

Identifiers

PMID38041168
PMCPMC10691064

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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.