Imperial College London
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DrGemmaClunie

Faculty of Medicine, Department of Surgery & Cancer

Honorary Research Fellow
 
 
 
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Contact

 

g.clunie Website

 
 
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Location

 

202Sir Michael Uren HubWhite City Campus

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Summary

 

Publications

Citation

BibTex format

@article{Gimson:2022:10.1111/ecc.13564,
author = {Gimson, E and Greca, Dottori M and Clunie, G and Yan, Zheng C and Wiseman, T and Joyce, E and McGregor, A and McNair, H},
doi = {10.1111/ecc.13564},
journal = {European Journal of Cancer Care},
title = {Not as simple as “fear of the unknown”: a qualitative study exploring anxiety in the radiotherapy department},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ecc.13564},
volume = {31},
year = {2022}
}
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RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Objective:Little is understood about the anxiety experienced by cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy or investigative imaging. Our aim was to identify sources of anxiety, the points along the cancer journey where anxiety occurred and methods to alleviate it.Methods:Six focus groups were conducted with cancer patients (n = 17), caregivers (n = 3) and healthcare practitioners (HCPs; n = 10) in the radiotherapy department. Patients described specific elements in the care pathway which induced anxiety, while HCPs focused on their perception of the patient experience. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data.Results:Three broad themes emerged: The Environment, The Individual and The Unknown. The physical environment of the hospital, inside the scanner for example, emerged as a key source of anxiety. The impact of cancer on patients' individual lives was significant, with many feeling isolated. The majority of participants described anxiety associated with the unknown. HCPs reported difficulty in identifying the anxious patient.Conclusions:Anxiety is experienced throughout the cancer pathway. Common sources include the physical environment and the uncertainty associated with having cancer. Identifying both anxiety-inducing factors, and the anxious patients themselves, is crucial to enable targeted interventions to alleviate anxiety.
AU  - Gimson,E
AU  - Greca,Dottori M
AU  - Clunie,G
AU  - Yan,Zheng C
AU  - Wiseman,T
AU  - Joyce,E
AU  - McGregor,A
AU  - McNair,H
DO  - 10.1111/ecc.13564
PY  - 2022///
SN  - 0961-5423
TI  - Not as simple as “fear of the unknown”: a qualitative study exploring anxiety in the radiotherapy department
T2  - European Journal of Cancer Care
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ecc.13564
UR  - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/94947
VL  - 31
ER  -
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