575 - Investigating quality of care for people with cancer and dementia

Background

People with dementia have poorer cancer outcomes than those without. Little information exists concerning implications of comorbid cancer-dementia for people having cancer treatment in an ambulatory care setting. The purpose of this focused ethnography is to characterise the environment, behaviour and processes that comprise the setting, and to explore what constitutes ‘good care’ in this context.

Trial design

The aim of this focused ethnography is to establish an empirically-based conceptual foundation to inform development of innovations to improve the way treatment and support is offered to people with dementia having cancer treatment. Objectives include: Understanding the physical fabric of the ambulatory care environment, and how this shapes patterns of behaviour and processes; Understanding the actions of those involved in the receipt or provision of care for people with dementia having cancer treatment, through exploration of interactions, perceptions, and language. Understanding the processes involved in care delivery, and how these shape treatment and support offered to patients. Identify characteristics that constitute ‘good care’ and gain an understanding of barriers and facilitators. Identify which aspects of the ambulatory care setting are amenable to modification to meet the needs of this complex population. This project will allow formation of a rich picture of the cultural context in which behaviour, environment and processes are situated, and identify ways in which the organisation of care might be structured to provide a person-centred service for people with dementia. Participants: Participation will be invited from people with dementia having cancer treatment (n ≤ 10), informal carers (n ≤ 10), and staff members (oncologists, nurses, radiographers, support workers, administrative staff, and allied health professionals) (n ≤ 30). Methods: Data will be collected via observations, interviews and document analysis. Data will be analysed using constant comparison, informed by the analytic tradition of grounded theory (Glaser & Strauss 1967), to allow the researchers to establish an empirically-based conceptual and theoretical foundation that is grounded in the original data.

Clinical trial identification

Editorial acknowledgement

Legal entity responsible for the study

Naomi Farrington.

Funding

National Institute for Health Research, United Kingdom.

Disclosure

All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.