CANCER patients in the Isle of Man have been asked to share their views on the care they received through their illness.
The Department of Health has commissioned a cancer patient survey, which has been distributed to 340 people who have recently undergone treatment for cancer, and has extended the deadline in order to get more responses.
It is hoped that the personal feedback of patients will help to shape the future of cancer care in the Isle of Man and help to shape the Island's first cancer strategy which is due out in 2012.
So far the response rate to the survey is 55 per cent – and patients who have received the survey but have still not filled it in are urged to do so.
Elizabeth McGowan, the cancer services improvement nurse for the Department of Health, is organising the study. She said: "I acknowledge that there will be patients who, for whatever reason, will not wish to fill in the questionnaire. They may not wish to talk about their cancer and I wholeheartedly accept that and that is fine.
"But for those who feel they want to get their say in and help shape the future for Isle of Man cancer services I feel it is a fantastic opportunity and I highly recommend it.
"To those people who are considering participating in the study all I can say is that their feelings and their experiences will help other patients in the future – and possibly themselves."
The questionnaire asks more than 70 questions about the care patients received - from the GP referral, to the diagnosis, to the treatment they received. It is being administered by Quality Health – an organisation that has completed similar studies across England.
People are asked to be as honest as possible when completing the questionnaires which are confidential.
Elizabeth continued: "I decided that a study of cancer patients' experiences would be very viable and very significant - allowing cancer patients in the Isle of Man to be part of shaping a cancer strategy which is a one off opportunity.
"Cancer is quite an emotive subject and it affects more than one in three of us now according to the latest research.
"I want people to basically be honest – whether it's positive or negative. The only way we can learn is to ask the users of the service for their experience. We've got to start somewhere. I expect people to be justifiable and honest in their answers.
"We can only improve the services based on the feedback we get from people – we can't do it in isolation. We can sit behind a table and write lots of reports and strategies but we are not the people who are using the service so it's not going to be as effective."
Reminder letters have been sent out to all patients who received a copy of the survey. The new deadline for responses is Friday, September 16. Anyone who needs further information about the study is asked to contact Elizabeth on 01624 650723.
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