Most Patients With Bone Sarcomas Seek Emotional Support and Information About Other Patients' Experiences: A Thematic Analysis

CONCLUSION: Analysis of posts reveals that the two most common themes involve seeking out emotional support and information about the experiences of others with various treatment modalities. Although most of the posts we assessed contained experiential information and emotional support rather than directed medical advice, future studies should assess the accuracy of information shared among online sarcoma forums.CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Physicians caring for patients with sarcomas should not only address patient concerns related to medical care, but also provide emotional support directly and assist patients by providing resources to peer support outlets, including online discussion forums. Although we cannot ascertain the proportion of patients who use online sites given the anonymity of posts included, these findings suggest common experiential themes across patients with sarcomas outside their doctors' offices. It is important that providers be aware of reputable forums to provide as resources for their patients. The Musculoskeletal Tumor Society may further benefit from endorsing one or more of these forums and providing physician oversight to monitor misinformation.PMID:37432118 | DOI:10.1097/CORR.0000000000002761
Source: Clinical Genitourinary Cancer - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Source Type: research