An Empirical Study of Patients' Perceptions of Encounters with Healthcare Professionals after Undergoing Cancer Surgery in the Gastrointestinal Tract - A Phenomenographic Study

To suffer from a tumor disease starts both physical and mental processes in the patient. These patients often need some form of surgical treatment or action. It is a group of patients who have often been through a lot, before, during, and after the surgery. Aim: To describe patients' perceptions of encounters with healthcare professionals after undergoing cancer surgery in the gastrointestinal tract. Methods: The study was an empirical study with a qualitative design and a phenomenographic approach. Eight patients recruited from a surgical department in a hospital in southern Sweden were interviewed, and data were analyzed according to a phenomenographic method. Results: Patients described what the encounter means after undergoing cancer surgery, which resulted in three descriptive categories – creating an adequate environment for care,paying attention to individual needs for care, and facilitating patient participation in care. Patients perceived that the healthcare professionals are committed to the patient's situation and that their commitment has a positive effect on the patients' mood postoperatively when they felt seen. Conclusion: The healthcare professionals’ ability to be sensitive to the different needs of the patients was important for how the patient perceived their care in the ward. The possibility of some kind of activity that could help dispel negative thoughts and the patient's need for active participation in their own care were important aspects.