Abstract

BLANCO SANCHEZ, RAFAELA. Information received from women diagnosed with breast cancer. av.enferm. [online]. 2011, vol.29, n.1, pp.13-21. ISSN 0121-4500.

Purpose: To analyze information received by women with breast cancer. To explain what they understand from said explanations. To analyze difficulties experienced by professionals to convey process information. Methods: qualitative phenomenological. 34 interviews were carried out in depth (to 29 women, 1 man and 4 physicians) in the specific services of Vall d'Hebron Hospital, and in the gynecology service of the Primary Health Care Center La Mina in Barcelona, between 2004 and 2006. Age range was between 20 and 69 years. Results: Women were grouped as per instruction level. There were 5 groups of women: who explain medical errors; sick health professionals; housewives, with incomplete primary education; with high school education; with university education and different professions. Women and professionals explain the difficulty of giving and receiving information. Discussion: we agreed with other authors who say that telling the truth should be an individualized process, always difficult, in which the sick person has the initiative, sets limits and graduates questions and silences. Professional information should obtain the best for the sick person. Conclusions: women are afraid of relapses; it increases when they do not trust information received from the team treating them. University graduated women want to receive information without paternalism. Women with primary education want verification that it has been understood.

Keywords : breast neoplasms; disease notification; health knowledge, attitudes, practice; communication barriers.

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