The need for social support provided by the non-profit cancer societies throughout different phases in the cancer trajectory and its integration into public healthcare

Purpose: To describe the phases of the cancer trajectory when social support, in the form of electronic counselling services, as provided by the non-profit cancer societies, is needed, as well as how these services are integrated into the cancer care in public healthcare.

Methods: In this descriptive qualitative study a purposive sample of patients with cancer (n = 12) were interviewed. The data were content analysed inductively.

Results: Social support was needed when emotional well-being was weakened, when the body broke, when the care pathway induced unawareness, and when empowerment needed strengthening. There was no need for social support when well-being was considered in balance. The electronic counselling services were integrated into cancer care by supporting the patient with cancer emotionally, developing the informational expertise of the patient with cancer, expanding the opportunities for support, and supporting public healthcare. Integration required improvements to the actions of the patients and various actors involved in the healthcare system. There was no integration due to the health status of the patient and the sufficiency of the primary support sources. The received social support was not integrated into the actual cancer treatment process of the patient with cancer in the public healthcare system.

Conclusions: The phases of support needed in the cancer trajectory as defined by the patient differ from the traditional biomedical phases of treatment.