Patient Experience in Neoplastic Disease in Light of the Statements of Doctors Who Are Oncological Patients

Abstract

This study aimed to explore oncological doctor-patients experiences concerning the neoplastic disease. The study involved 20 Polish doctors with cancer. Respondents answered open questions related to cancer management and opinions about themselves as oncological patients. The results of the study indicate that doctor-patients deny their susceptibility to illness, which leads to prophylaxis ignorance. Many doctors diagnosed themselves with the disease, but they needed a clear verbal confirmation of the diagnosis by another physician. Respondents well assessed professional skills of doctor-colleagues. However, communication competencies of their doctors were assessed critically. Medical narratives may become an incentive to deepen the discourse on the quality of the relationship between a doctor and a doctor-oncological patient. They may also lead to further research on the anthropological, psychological, and sociological understanding of disease.