Objectives
Understanding service availability in palliative and cancer settings for both patients and caregivers is key to informing future national strategies. As healthcare professionals (HCPs) play a critical role in supportive care planning and delivery, this study aimed to document HCPs’ perspectives on the extent to which cancer-related unmet needs were assessed and addressed within healthcare institutions in Turkiye, a low-to-middle income country (LMIC).
Sample and Setting
HCPs involved in oncology and palliative supportive care across Turkiye participated in the International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS) Survivorship Online Survey. HCPs held roles in clinical care (43.9%), administration (16.8%), research (15.3%), and teaching/supervision (19.8%). Disciplines represented included medicine (47.4%), psychology/counselling (31.6%), and other allied health fields (21.0%).
Procedures
HCPs reported on institutional practices for assessing and providing services for 13 categories of unmet needs experienced by cancer patients and family-caregivers. The availability of specific service types (counselling, support groups, educational-materials, and pharmacological-interventions) was individually assessed. Group differences were examined using Chi-square and Fisher-Exact Tests.
Results
HCPs more frequently addressed needs related to emotional-distress, symptom-burden, and medical-care. In contrast, needs concerning sexuality, cognitive-functioning, and financial-strain were less consistently assessed or supported. No significant difference was found in overall service availability between patients and caregivers (p>.05). However, some marginal differences (p<.10) were noted: booklets/self-help materials for emotional-distress were more frequently provided for patients than caregivers (χ²=3.041, p<.10, OR=0.14, 95%CI[0.01-2.60]), and counselling for insomnia/sleep difficulties was more frequent for caregivers than for patients (χ²=2.929, p<.10; OR=3.89, 95%CI[0.77-19.69]).
Conclusion and Clinical Implications
This study highlights both strengths and gaps in supportive care service provision for cancer affected populations in Turkiye. Findings underscore the importance of developing comprehensive, equitable frameworks to systematically address psychosocial and practical concerns, particularly for caregivers. These results provide an initial foundation for future large-scale or longitudinal investigations particularly for palliative-care and cancer settings.