A Qualitative Needs Analysis of Skin Cancer Care from the Perspectives of Patients, Physicians, and Health Insurance Representatives—A Case Study from Eastern Saxony, Germany

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

Abstract

Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide and the number of patients is steadily increasing. In skin cancer care, greater interdisciplinary cooperation is required for prevention, early detection, and new complex systemic therapies. However, the implementation of innovative medical care is a major challenge, especially for rural regions with an older than average, multimorbid population, with limited mobility, that are long distances from medical facilities. Solutions are necessary to ensure comprehensive oncological care in rural regions. The aim of this study was to identify indicators to establish a regional care network for integrated skin cancer care. To capture the perspectives of different stakeholder groups, we conducted two focus groups with twenty skin cancer patients and their relatives, a workshop with eight physicians, and three semi-structured interviews with health insurance company representatives. Qualitative data were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed following Mayring’s content analysis methods. We generated ten categories based on the reported optimization potentials; five categories were assigned to all three stakeholder groups: Prevention and early diagnosis, accessibility of physicians/clinics, physicians’ resources, care provider’s responsibilities, and information exchange. The results indicate the need for stronger integration of care in the region. They provide the basis for regional networking as, for example, the conception of treatment pathways or telemedicine with the aim to improve a comprehensive skin cancer care. Our study should raise awareness and postulate as a demand that all patients receive guideline-based therapy, regardless of where they live.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2583-2598
Number of pages16
JournalCurrent Oncology
Volume29
Issue number4
Publication statusPublished - 9 Apr 2022
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 35448186
ORCID /0000-0001-6232-5132/work/165453953
ORCID /0000-0003-4340-9706/work/165454399

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • intersectoral collaboration, melanoma, qualitative research, regional care network, rural health service, skin cancer