Informational Needs of Women with Vulvar Neoplasia in the First Week after Hospital Discharge – A Mixed Methods Study

This study aimed to describe (1) the prevalence of informational needs in surgically treated women with vulvar neoplasia during the first week after hospital discharge, (2) associations between informational needs and age, type, disease stage and the extent of surgery and (3) additional informational needs. This convergent parallel designed mixed-methods study was conducted in eight hospitals across Germany and Switzerland (Clinical Trial ID: NCT01300663). Outpatients (n=65) rated items of the WOMAN-PRO instrument and added further notes. Five items concerning informational needs were analysed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis. For notes (n=38) a qualitative content analysis was done. The mean prevalence of unmet informational needs was 81.8%. The most prevalent unmet informational needs concerned disease (56 out of 65) and treatment (56 out of 65). Informational needs were found to increase in relation to the type (i.e. pre-cancer, cancer) (b = 3.05, p = 0.039), whereas they decreased in relation to the extent of surgery (b = -2.411, p = 0.035). Notes showed three main topics regarding additional informational needs “understanding the illness”, “caring for yourself” and “going forward”. Data revealed a high prevalence of informational needs and the WOMAN-PRO instrument can guide patients and clinicians in assessing informational needs.