Introduction: It is estimated that more than 32.6 million cancer patients live at least 5 years after diagnosis. Despite improved survival, specific medical, psychological, informational, or social needs are still largely unmet. Given the growing number of cancer patients and survivors, empowerment will become increasingly important, meaning that great responsibility for cancer treatment falls on individuals themselves, their relatives and external organizational support (e.g., associaton). Purpose: The purpose of our research is to determine whether the traditional workshops of the Slovenian lymphoma and leukemia patient association, according to the participants and organizers, help with their empowerment. Methods: We used a descriptive method to achieve our research goals and a literature review for collecting and analyzing data. Other data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with 10 participants. For data analysis we used a qualitative content analysis. Results: Through a qualitative analysis of the interviews, 3 topics were formed that answer our questions: support, workshop experience and workshop plan. Participants felt the most support through information support, emotional support, and socializing, they also emphasized the mutual support. In most cases, the feelings and observations at the workshops were positive, but some negative opinions were shown, which included incoherence and loss of meaning regarding workshops. They expressed the desire for more frequent organization of workshops with new content and emphasized charitableness and the main purpose of the workshops – »patient for patient«. Discussion and conclusion: Empowerment is one of the main factors influencing an individual's attitude towards their helath. More people are living with cancer, so the support of societies/associations is all the more important. The Slovenian association of patients with lymphoma and leukemia crucially contributes to the greater empowerment of participants’ trough workshops, but further research into the factors influencing empowerment would be needed. By gaining feedback and good communication involving organizers and participants, the association could gain a broader insight into the concept of empowerment. By constantly monitoring the feedback and satisfaction of the participants, they could develop and direct their activities towards workshops that empower the participants.
|
