Research Information System
Supportive Care in Cancer, vol.33, no.9, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Purpose: Turkiye, a low-to-middle-income country with high cancer rates, faces challenges in providing adequate psycho-oncology services. This study aimed to identify Turkish health care professionals’ (HCPs) perspectives on the unmet needs of their cancer patients to fulfil their needs through need-based treatment planning. Methods: Turkish HPCs working in the cancer care field in Turkiye (n = 484) participated in the IPOS Survivorship Online Survey, which evaluates the perspectives of HCPs on their patients’ concerns and unmet needs. Results: Participants were primarily young adults (40.7%) with a medical professional background (43.5%). Most were engaged in clinical work (35%) for 2–10 years. HCPs evaluated the unmet needs for medical care (73.8%) and managing emotional distress (71.4%) as the most common across all age groups, whereas sexuality/intimacy (15.9%) as the least common. Additionally, the needs for sexuality/intimacy (57.9%) and financial concerns (54.4%) were evaluated as the most unmet, whereas insomnia/sleep difficulties (26.3%) as the least unmet needs. According to HPC’s evaluation, patients’ unmet needs for spiritual concern, sexuality/intimacy, and personal care varied by patients’ age groups (p <.05). The results were comparable across HCPs’ gender and their disciplines. Conclusions: Turkish cancer patients report greater unmet needs in sexuality/intimacy and finances compared to international peers, while needs related to spirituality, physical/cognitive function, insomnia, and social roles are less pronounced. Further investigation of healthcare professionals’ workload and the types of services available for cancer patients will help modify healthcare policies to enable equitable quality cancer care in Turkiye and globally when providing care for the Turkish diaspora.