'This isn't what mine looked like': a qualitative study of symptom appraisal and help seeking in people recently diagnosed with melanoma.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To explore symptom appraisal and help-seeking decisions among patients recently diagnosed with melanomas, and to compare experiences of people with 'thinner' (<1 mm) and 'thicker' (>2 mm) melanomas, as thickness at diagnosis is an important prognostic feature.

Methods

In-depth interviews with patients within 10 weeks of melanoma diagnosis explored the factors impacting on their pathways to diagnosis. Framework analysis, underpinned by the Model of Pathways to Treatment, was used to explore the data with particular focus on patients' beliefs and experiences, disease factors, and healthcare professional (HCP) influences.

Results

63 patients were interviewed (29-93 years, 31 women, 30 thicker melanomas). All described their skin changes using rich lay vocabular

SUBMITTER: Walter FM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4120305 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature