Explaining Postdischarge Care Needs of Cancer Patients: A Qualitative Study

AIM: This study aimed to explain the postdischarge care needs of cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this qualitative content analysis, nine cancer patients presenting to the department of chemotherapy or an oncologist's office, four of patients’ accompaniments, four nurses, and two oncologists were selected purposefully until data saturation. They underwent deep individual interviews. Data were collected from October 2016 to June 2017. Data were analyzed using Zhang's method with an inductive approach to extract the themes. RESULTS: Data analysis led to the formation of two main categories of healing and relaxation needs (with subcategories of “respect and friendship,” “trust and confidence,” “relief,” “patience and tolerance,” “empowerment,” and “protection from tension and excessive pressure”) and monitoring and balancing conditions (with subcategories of “care monitoring” and “protection”). CONCLUSIONS: Postdischarge needs are a set of needs for primary exposure to diagnosis, outpatient attendance at the hospital and treatment centers, access to the treatment team, family readiness, and care systems and community needs for acceptance and care of these patients. The discharge plan should be designed in accordance with the needs set out above, so that the patients can meet the needs of the acute and disease encounter phase and also can manage the emerging postdischarge needs, such as empowerment.