Conference Proceedings - School of Nursing & Midwifery - Trinity ...

School of Nursing & Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin: 8 th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference
Transforming Healthcare Through Research, Education & Technology: 7 th – 9 th November 2007
Conference Proceedings
The comments written on the DDCs suggest that some patients
experienced high levels of fatigue as they progressed through their
chemotherapy. Hair loss appeared to have been very distressing for
several patients and appeared to have had a big impact on their
body image . Many recorded dietary concerns regarding altered
taste and lack of appetite. Some suggested this was due to nausea.
Some patients used complementary therapies to help them combat
nausea and vomiting. Many found indigestion to be the worst
symptom of their chemotherapy. Many of these comments were
echoed in the semi-structured interviews and will be explored
further in the next chapter.
3 Analysis of qualitative data (Daily Diary Cards)
Summary of results
The patients who completed the DDCs recorded a range of sideeffects
and issues that were important to them whilst undergoing
adjuvant chemotherapy for breast or colorectal cancer. Their issues
and side-effects were analysed within two themes, physical and
psychological. Nausea and vomiting, including anticipatory nausea
and vomiting, anxiety, fatigue, dietary needs, body image and
sexuality problems were reported by the patients as being
problematic at some stage of their chemotherapy treatment.
Compliance with completing the DDCs varied amongst the patients
interviewed, with only three out of the ten completing them as they
were instructed by the research team. Some patients used denial to
help them cope with their cancer diagnosis and treatment and some
patients’ comments suggested that the completion of the DDCs
reinforced a conditioned response to illness for them. Many patients
used complementary therapies, which they self-funded, to help
them cope with their cancer diagnosis and the effects of the chemotherapy
treatment. These key points from the interviews are
presented in Table 4 and together with the results from the
quantitative data will be discussed in more detail in the following
chapter.
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