Informational and emotional support for cancer patients' relatives

The purpose of this study was to find out what cancer patients' relatives think about the actions of health care professionals in terms of providing informational and emotional support. The sample consisted of 168 relatives of patients from oncological wards all over Finland. The data were collected with a questionnaire specifically developed for this study. Non-parametric tests were used for statistical analysis. The results clearly highlighted the importance of informing relatives about the patient's illness. However, less than one-third of the relatives said they received much information. Relatives' need for emotional support was clearly at a lower level than their need for information. Even so, only very little support was provided in relation to relatives' needs.