Contact nurses’ experiences of using my care plan in upper gastrointestinal cancer care: a qualitative study
Tina Gustavell, Eva Greus, Malin Backman, Mats Frisk, Berit SundeAbstract
Introduction
Digital My Care Plan was introduced to strengthen person-centred cancer care by providing patients with structured information and support throughout the cancer care trajectory. Further, it was intended to support the contact nurse role. However, experiences indicate that the use of My Care Plan varies between settings and contexts. To better understand its practical role, there is a need to explore contact nurses’ experiences of using My Care Plan in everyday nursing practice within upper gastrointestinal care.
Methods
Semi-structured focus group interviews (n = 3) were conducted with contact nurses (n = 13) in upper gastrointestinal cancer across Sweden. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis.
Results
Preliminary results show that the contact nurses experienced My Care Plan primarily as a tool for structured informational support rather than integrated in everyday nursing practises. It was mainly used at diagnosis and treatment and less at follow-up and connected to patients' individual needs. Implementation was influenced by nurses’ limited experiences and varying familiarity with the tool, with many not having learned all available functions. Introduction and training differed, and much learning occurred through everyday use.
Discussion
The findings indicate that My Care Plan currently function mainly as an introductory information tool rather than a fully integrated part of everyday nursing care and seldom used to enhance person-centred care. This indicates a gap between the tool’s intended role and how it is realised in practice. Future efforts should focus on sustained implementation support, continuous education, and organisational conditions that enable long-term integration into the contact nurse role.