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Biomedical subjects

Adriaan Visser

Publications and source records attributed to Adriaan Visser.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Changes in health-related quality of life of men with prostate cancer 3 months after diagnosis: the role of psychosocial factors and comparisment with benign prostate hyperplasia patients.

The objective of the pilot study is to measure the changes in health-related quality of life (HRQOL, general and prostate specific) 3 months after the disease has been diagnosed in men with prostate cancer. The results are compared with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) patients. Also the influence of psychosocial factors (distress, coping and social support) on the experienced changes in health-related quality of life is studied for both patient groups. The sample consists of 61 patients who filled in the questionnaire before the diagnosis was know to them and after 3 months (38 benign prostate hyperplasia and 23 prostate cancer patients). The measures consist of: quality of life, micturation symptoms, sexual functioning, coping style, psychological distress, life events, social support, social desirability, and health behavior. The results show a decrease in quality of life for prostate cancer patient after three moments, while the quality of life measure for BPH patients are stable over time. For both patient groups, the psychosocial factors do not change after 3 months. The psychosocial factors contribute only marginal to the changes in quality of life. Conclusions are drawn concerning the need and the content of psychosocial support and education for prostate cancer patients.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2003

Psychosocial and educational aspects in prostate cancer patients.

Prostate cancer was a neglected area in psycho-oncology. There is now a growing number of studies on the psychosocial aspects of having prostate cancer and the possibilities to reduce these problems in educational and group interventions. In this issue of Patient Education and Counseling, studies are presented on several psychosocial and educational aspects in prostate cancer patients: screening events and outcomes, assessing the unmet information, support and care delivery needs, reacting to the diagnosis of prostate cancer, informational needs of men on hormonal therapy, changes in health-related quality of life three months after the diagnosis, information-seeking behaviors and information needs of partners, quality of leaflets, video information in decision making, and patient perceptions and priorities in a rehabilitation program. Conclusions are presented on neglected research areas in psychosocial and educational aspects of living with prostate cancer.

Hormone Replacement Therapy↗
PubMed2003

Clinical decision-making at the end of life: the role of the patient's wish.

Information about medical decision-making in the last stage of life and the wishes of terminally ill patients is scarce. At two hospital departments, we observed 16 multidisciplinary meetings and recorded 110 discussions concerning 74 patients. Thirty-three of these discussions concerned either starting or forgoing potentially life-prolonging therapy or applying potentially life-shortening medical interventions. The wishes of the patients were considered in 15 of these discussions. In 6 of these 15 discussions, the patient's wish was unknown. In five discussions the decision was postponed to enable discussions with the patients. Potentially life-shortening decisions were never made if patients were known to disagree. No decisions about physician-assisted death were made. The study shows that medical end-of-life decisions are commonly shared between the involved caregivers and the patients.

Advance Directives↗