Health and Quality of Life in elective cancer patients more than 80 years of age in somatic hospital.

Project summary

The research group "Cancer and quality of life" at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (WNUAS) and Haukeland University Hospital wishes through this research project to establish new knowledge of how cancer patients over 80 years of age report their health and quality of life related to elective hospitalization in somatic hospitals. The incidence of cancer increases especially in the aging population, and very few have "only" cancer. People over the age of 80 have significantly more stays in hospitals than the rest of the population, which places great demands on the competence of nurses and other health professionals. Most clinical studies have had strict inclusion requirements that has lead to the exclusion of the oldest elderly, and few studies state how patients over 80 years who is or have been admitted to somatic hospitals report their health and quality of life. Results from the study may have implications for practice, and increase the quality of nursing and other health care provided to the patient group throughout the patient's trajectory. This project is a collaboration between researchers from all regions of WNUAS, and will involve master and PhD students. We also collaborate with a researcher from one of our cooperative universities York University, Toronto, Canada.

Method

Mixed methods

The main study will be a cohort study with a consecutive selection of patients with different cancer diagnoses = /> 80 years without cognitive impairment, that is electively admitted to somatic surgical departments at Haukeland University Hospital (HUS). These patients will be interviewed at admission (baseline), as well as 6 and 12 months after hospitalization.

We will also conduct depth interviews with patients who have been included in the study. Interview guide for the qualitative interviews will be prepared after analysis of the quantitative data, and on the basis of identification of possible problem areas that are further explored (sequentially).