Different perspectives between head and neck cancer patients and their care-givers on their daily impact experienced with a gastrostomy tube: a pilot study

The fg revealed key issues that included: (i) opposite experiences for knowledge and understanding of why the tube was necessary and showed that the care-givers' reduced understanding had a greater impact once the patient got home; (ii) development of positive strategies to cope with the feeding tube and showed that these were experienced at different times by the groups; (iii) views on preventing nutritional decline showed both groups had a mutual positive impact about weight management and concerns about weaning off the gastrostomy tube, whereas the groups expressed opposite experiences of the objectives of nutritional support such as supplementation and meal preparation; (iv) although both groups generally expressed differences in their perceptions, they expressed mutual recognition that the gastrostomy tube helps the patient survive; and (v) both groups expressed mutual negative experiences toward obtaining dentures and financial co-ordination in the acute and community setting to replace gastrostomy tubes for cosmetic reasons, the patient group raised negative views towards the active care, whereas the care-givers focused more on psychological support.