Exploring primary brain tumor patient and caregiver needs and preferences in brief educational and support opportunities

Purpose A primary brain tumor patient and caregiver survey was completed to investigate interest in brief support opportunities, focused on education, memory training, and healthy coping, during a routine clinical visit and at 3-month follow-up. Methods Patients with primary brain tumors receiving care in the Radiation Oncology Department at Mayo Clinic Rochester and their caregivers were recruited to complete the survey between June 2008 and September 2009. Results Both patients and their caregivers expressed greatest interest in education about brain tumors and cognitive effects of treatment. Interest in support opportunities targeting education, memory training, or healthy coping was low to modest. Bimodal distributions were found for almost all the support opportunities, revealing subgroups of patients and caregivers with high interest in such sessions. Overall, ratings of interest did not differ over time. Conclusions Patients with primary brain tumors and their caregivers expressed most interest in education about their disease and potential cognitive effects of treatment. It appears that subgroups of patients and caregivers have very high interest in brief support opportunities. Identifying these subgroups of patients and families will allow targeted interventions focused on their needs and make the best use of limited resources.