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Table 2 Factor loadings for the 89 items of the Survivor Unmet Needs Survey (SUNS)

From: The Survivor Unmet Needs Survey (SUNS) for haematological cancer survivors: a cross-sectional study assessing the relevance and psychometric properties

Domains from original measure

Item

Factor 1

Factor 2

Factor 3

Factor 4

Factor 5

Information

Finding information about what signs to look for and when to be concerned

 

0.34

  

0.51

 

Knowing which sources of information to trust

    

0.59

 

Finding information about all my treatment choices, including no treatment at all

 

0.38

  

0.61

 

Finding information about complementary or alternative therapies

 

0.31

  

0.51

 

Dealing with fears about cancer spreading

0.32

   

0.62

 

Dealing with worry about whether the treatment has worked

0.33

   

0.59

 

Dealing with feelings of worry (anxiety) between follow-ups

0.43

   

0.55

 

Dealing with not feeling sure that the cancer has gone

0.34

   

0.49

Financial concerns

Worry about earning money

   

0.75

 
 

Having to take a pension or disability allowance

   

0.76

 
 

Paying household bills or other payments

   

0.84

 
 

Adapting to living on a pension or disability allowance

   

0.82

 
 

Paying non-medical costs related to my cancer (travel, accommodation, special foods, etc.)

   

0.62

 
 

Finding what type of financial assistance is available and how to obtain it

   

0.46

 
 

Finding car parking that I can afford at the hospital or clinic

 

0.43*

 

0.34

 
 

Understanding what is covered by my medical insurance or benefits

 

0.43*

 

0.30

 
 

Knowing how much time I would need away from work

   

0.56

 
 

Doing work around the house (cooking, cleaning, home repairs etc.)

   

0.39

 
 

Doing yard work (lawn mowing, etc.)

0.33

  

0.39

 

Access and continuity of care

Finding information about who I should contact if I have a problem or concern

 

0.50

   
 

Finding information about cancer and its effects in a way I can understand

 

0.52

  

0.41

 

Finding out what is involved in follow-up care

 

0.54

  

0.37

 

Making sure my family doctor could get information from specialists

 

0.65

   
 

Making sure I was treated in a hospital or clinic that was as physically pleasant as possible

 

0.67

   
 

Having access to cancer services close to my home

 

0.50

   
 

Having access to cancer services at night and on weekends

 

0.71

   
 

Getting appointments with my family doctor quickly enough

 

0.63

   
 

Getting appointments with specialists quickly enough (oncologist, surgeon etc.)

 

0.79

   
 

Getting follow-up tests quickly enough

 

0.85

   
 

Getting test results quickly enough

 

0.79

   
 

Having access to care from other health specialists (e.g. dieticians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists)

 

0.68

   
 

Making sure I had choices about which hospital or clinic I could go to

 

0.75

   
 

Making sure health care workers had access to my medical information when planning services for me

 

0.85

   
 

Feeling comfortable in the waiting room

 

0.63

   
 

Making sure I had enough time to ask my doctor or nurse questions

 

0.81

   
 

Making sure all my health care workers had all the medical files related to my cancer care

 

0.87

   
 

Getting the health care team to attend promptly to my physical needs

 

0.78

   
 

Finding health care professionals who were friendly and could have a joke with me

 

0.84

   
 

Making sure the health care team understood and was aware of my feelings and emotional needs

 

0.70

   
 

Making sure I was treated like a person, not just another case

 

0.77

   
 

Understanding the information I was given

 

0.67

   

Relationships

Dealing with the way other people react to my new priorities and my different outlook on life

  

0.58

  
 

Dealing with losses and changes in my relationships

  

0.48

  
 

Telling others how I was feeling physically

0.37

 

0.50

  
 

Telling others how I was feeling emotionally

0.42

 

0.49

  
 

Talking to my family and friends about how they were feeling

0.35

 

0.44

  
 

Finding someone to talk to who understands and has been through a similar experience

0.36

 

0.45

  
 

Dealing with people who expect me to be “back to normal”

0.47

 

0.52

  
 

Dealing with people not knowing what to say or how to behave

0.35

 

0.53

  
 

Dealing with people who expect me to feel happy or relieved when treatment has ended

0.49*

 

0.43

  
 

Dealing with people not understanding what I’m going through

0.61*

 

0.47

  
 

Dealing with how people are not able to cope with my illness

0.42

 

0.51

  
 

Dealing with people accepting that having cancer has changed me as a person

0.52

 

0.54

  
 

Dealing with reduced support from others when treatment has ended

0.38

 

0.46

  
 

Dealing with strains in relationships

0.50*

 

0.39

  
 

Finding someone to listen to me even if there is nothing they can do

0.47

 

0.48

  

Emotional Health

Dealing with people not understanding how my physical abilities have changed

0.54

 

0.37

  
 

Dealing with feeling like I am a burden to my family and friends

0.60

    
 

Dealing with feeling depressed

0.79

    
 

Dealing with feeling tired

0.73

    
 

Dealing with feeling stressed

0.76

    
 

Dealing with feeling worried (anxious)

0.78

    
 

Dealing with feeling lonely

0.61

    
 

Dealing with feeling vulnerable

0.76

    
 

Dealing with worry about the emotional well-being of my family

0.64

    
 

Dealing with grief and loss

0.70

    
 

Dealing with feelings about death and dying

0.78

    
 

Dealing with not feeling able to set future goals or make long-term plans

0.82

    
 

Dealing with losing confidence in my own abilities

0.87

    
 

Dealing with feeling a loss of control

0.91

    
 

Coping with feelings of despair

0.88

    
 

Coping with feeling like a different person

0.83

    
 

Dealing with not feeling happy or relieved when treatment has ended

0.69

    
 

Dealing with not being able to feel ‘normal’

0.84

    
 

Trying to stay positive

0.84

    
 

Trying to keep a sense of hope

0.84

    
 

Dealing with feeling guilty about what I have put others through

0.78

    
 

Dealing with being told I had cancer

0.63

    
 

Wanting to reflect on what I have achieved

0.66

    
 

Dealing with not wanting to do the things I used to do

0.83

    
 

Knowing how to relax

0.79

    
 

Dealing with feelings of isolation

0.70

    
 

Coping with having a bad memory or lack of focus

0.79

    
 

Dealing with changes in how my body appears

0.67

    
 

Dealing with changes in my physical ability

0.78

    
 

Coping with going back into the ‘real’ world

0.73

    
 

Coping with things not going back to how they were before I had cancer

0.85

    
 

Dealing with missing important events like holidays

0.70

    
 

Support for finding meaning or new purpose in life

0.73

    
  1. *Items loaded highest on a factor that was not their original domain. However, based on conceptual relevance and that all of these items loaded >0.3 on their original domain all of these items were kept within their original domain.