Abstract
Objective
We aimed to describe the prevalence and correlates of unmet needs among non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) survivors in Korea and to identify their association with health‐related quality of life (HRQOL).
Methods
Participants were 826 NHL survivors from three hospitals in South Korea diagnosed at least 24 months prior to participating (mean, 6.3 years; range, 2.1–20.9 years). We used self‐reported questionnaires, including the Need Scale for Cancer Patients Undergoing Follow‐up Care (NS‐C) developed in Korea and the EORTC QLQ‐C30. We defined an unmet need as a moderate to high level of unmet need in the NS‐C response scale.
Results
Among six domains, unmet need prevalence ranged from 1.7% to 38.3%. Most commonly reported domains with unmet needs were ‘treatment and prognosis’ (38.3%) and ‘keeping mind under control’ (30.5%). The three most frequently reported individual unmet needs were ‘being informed about prevention of recurrence’ (50.7%), ‘being informed about prevention of metastasis’ (49.7%), and ‘having self‐confidence of overcoming cancer’ (42.7%). Multivariate logistic analyses revealed that younger age, being unmarried, and low monthly income were associated with unmet needs of multiple domains. Participants with unmet needs demonstrated significantly poorer HRQOL, and the most clinically meaningful differences were found in social function and emotional function.
Conclusions
Korean NHL survivors have substantial unmet needs, especially those who are younger, unmarried, and have a lower income. Initiating supportive care programs for meeting unmet needs may enhance their HRQOL. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.