Warnock, C. orcid.org/0000-0002-8356-4199, Ulman, J., Skilbeck, J. et al. (1 more author) (2024) Patient and staff perspectives on the concept of frailty and its role in assessment and decision making in treatment for older people with lung cancer. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 71. 102611. ISSN: 1462-3889
Abstract
Purpose: Frailty influences outcomes in patients with cancer and should be considered when making decisions about treatment but concerns have been raised about possible negative consequences of doing this. Many patients with lung cancer have attributes of frailty and this study explores patient and staff perspectives on its role in decision making in older people with lung cancer.
Methods: The study adopted a two-phase qualitative approach using semi-structured telephone interviews and an in-person focus group. Data was analysed using framework techniques.
Results: Three key themes were identified: describing frailty, assessing frailty and perceptions of frailty. Each presented opportunities and challenges for using frailty in the context of treatment decision making. Frailty was described in relation to diverse attributes which made it difficult to define and assess. It was also associated with negative connotations, particularly by patients.
Conclusion: Frailty has the potential to inform decision making that balances the wish to provide optimum treatment against risks to patients who may not be able to tolerate it. The challenge for healthcare staff is to incorporate frailty assessment into clinical practice in a way that is acceptable to patients and avoids potential unintended harms.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2024 The Authors. Except as otherwise noted, this author-accepted version of a journal article published in European Journal of Oncology Nursing is made available via the University of Sheffield Research Publications and Copyright Policy under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
Keywords: | Frailty; Lung cancer; Older people; Patient perspective; Qualitative; Staff perspective; Treatment decisions; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Aged; Male; Female; Aged, 80 and over; Qualitative Research; Frailty; Geriatric Assessment; Frail Elderly; Focus Groups; Decision Making; Attitude of Health Personnel; Middle Aged; Interviews as Topic |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health (Sheffield) > Health Sciences School (Sheffield) |
Date Deposited: | 07 Oct 2025 13:34 |
Last Modified: | 07 Oct 2025 13:34 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier BV |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.ejon.2024.102611 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:232626 |
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