How to provide insomnia interventions to people with cancer: insights from patients

Abstract

Chronic insomnia affects approximately one quarter of cancer patients. Non-pharmacologic interventions are the treatment of choice for chronic insomnia, yet they are rarely offered to people with cancer. The study question was how to make these interventions available to cancer patients. Twenty-six cancer patients who had sleep difficulty participated in focus groups or one-to-one interviews. The key questions included: What would be the best way for you to find out about a service for insomnia treatment? What would make it easy/difficult for you to participate? Transcripts were examined independently by three readers who identified participants' answers to the questions, as well as themes that emerged from participants' reflections on their experience with cancer and sleep difficulty. The readers then worked together to reach consensus on a final classification system for describing the content of patients' responses. Participants provided many practical answers to our specific questions. In addition, the following themes emerged: sleep difficulty needs greater recognition by health professionals; patients wish to receive more information about sleep and sleep difficulty; and that although patients perceive sleep as being important, they are reluctant to report sleep problems to doctors. Furthermore, participants recommended that the assessment and treatment of sleep difficulty be integrated into the health care system while considering the cancer-treatment status and energy level of patients.

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