Community cancer clinics: patients' perspectives

In response to the challenge of providing care for cancer patients closer t o home, community chemotherapy outreach programs are being developed as par t of regional cancer care organizations. The purpose of this qualitative st udy was to gain an understanding of cancer patients' experiences of receivi ng chemotherapy at community chemotherapy clinics. In total, 28 patients wh o had received chemotherapy at 13 community-based clinics were interviewed. Qualitative analysis of the interview transcripts revealed two prevalent t hemes, One theme, called "balancing gains and losses," reflected how patien ts considered and evaluated two dimensions when making decisions about wher e best to undergo treatment. The dimensions considered were quality of life versus biomedical expertise. The second theme, called "communication links ," reflected patients' perceptions about the continuity of their cancer car e. The results of the study suggest that the impact of the delivery of serv ices on patients and their families needs attention.