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Psychometric properties of cancer survivors’ unmet needs survey

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to develop a psychometrically rigorous instrument to measure the unmet needs of adult cancer survivors who are 1 to 5 years post-cancer diagnosis. “Unmet needs” distinguishes between problems which survivors experience and problems which they desire help in managing.

Methods

The survey was developed from a comprehensive literature review, qualitative analysis of the six most important unmet needs of 71 cancer survivors, review of the domains and items by survivors and experts, cognitive interviews and a pilot test of 100 survivors. A stratified random sample of 550 cancer survivors, selected from a population-based Cancer Registry, completed a mailed survey to establish reliability and validity.

Results

The final 89-item Survivors Unmet Needs Survey (SUNS) has high acceptability, item test–retest reliability and internal consistency (Chronbach’s alpha 0.990), face, content and construct validity. Five subscales measure Emotional Health needs (33 items, 19.4% of variance), Access and Continuity of Care (22 items, 15.1%), Relationships (15 items, 12.1%), Financial Concerns (11 items, 10.3%) and Information needs (eight items, 8.1% of the variance).

Conclusions

This instrument has strong psychometric properties and is useful for determining the prevalence and predictors of cancer survivors’ unmet needs across types of cancer, length of survivorship and socio-demographic characteristics. Use of the SUNS will enable more effective targeting of programmes and services and guide policy and health planning decisions.

Relevance

This study is an important step toward evidence-based planning and management of problems which the growing survivor population requires assistance in managing.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge Cheryl Clague, CHIM, Project Manager and Humaira Khair, MSc., Programmer Analyst, from the Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Registry, CancerCare Manitoba for their management of the sample selection, survey distribution and comparative analysis. We thank Sandra Corbin MSc, Research Coordinator for her role in coordinating the study and Nancy Pearce, PhD, University of Waterloo for assistance in developing the survey items. The Canadian Cancer Society assisted in recruiting cancer survivors for the qualitative survey of unmet needs.

Conflict of interest

No conflict of interest or financial disclosures are reported by the authors.

Sources of support

This study was funded by the Canadian Cancer Society through a grant to the Centre for Behavioural Research and Program Evaluation at the University of Waterloo.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Propel Centre for Population Health Impact, University of Waterloo, Room 1726, Lyle S. Hallman Institute North, Waterloo, ON, Canada, N2L 3G1

    H. Sharon Campbell & Lynda Hayward

  2. School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia

    Rob Sanson-Fisher

  3. Epidemiology and Cancer Registry, CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada

    Donna Turner

  4. Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada

    Donna Turner

  5. Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, St. Francis Xavier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada

    X. Sunny Wang

  6. Patient and Family Support Services, CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada

    Jill Taylor-Brown

Authors
  1. H. Sharon Campbell
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  2. Rob Sanson-Fisher
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  3. Donna Turner
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  4. Lynda Hayward
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to H. Sharon Campbell.

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Campbell, H.S., Sanson-Fisher, R., Turner, D. et al. Psychometric properties of cancer survivors’ unmet needs survey. Support Care Cancer 19, 221–230 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-009-0806-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-009-0806-0

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