You Are Not Alone While Building a Support Team During Cancer Care

Both a professional healthcare team, as well as a group of personal supporters can help build a strong support network for patients who are undergoing cancer care, according to Michelle Kirschner, a registered nurse practitioner.

She goes on to explain that both of these groups help provide a more rounded approach to care, as personal supporters can offer emotional, practical, and informational help, while a strong professional healthcare team provides unwavering care. TO further discuss this topic, she sat down for an interview with CURE, where she also highlighted the importance of open communication between patients and their primary care partner.

Michelle Kirschner is the director of Program Development at the Cancer Survivorship Provider Network, located in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she focuses on supportive care and long-term patient empowerment.

Transcript:

How can patients build a strong network of support from diagnosis through survivorship?

Part of effective cancer care involves starting a conversation with the individual who has cancer themselves and understanding their existing network. I like to talk about having a "co-pilot" and a "crew." Your co-pilot is your professional healthcare team, who will be responsible for making recommendations. However, you can't fly a plane without a crew, and that's where your personal support system comes in.

You might have one person who excels at gathering information, someone who's really good at finding things. There might be another person who's simply excellent at calming you down—you love being with them because they're fun, and your stress just melts away. So, the key is to build a diverse network of individuals who are truly there for you.

Obviously, we also want to support your main individual, what we call your care partner. This could be your spouse or simply a very important person in your life. How do we support that relationship? How do we foster communication that's truly beneficial? Much of this involves discussing what's important to you in life, what constitutes a good day for you, and what success in treatment looks like.

Promoting this kind of open communication will strengthen your relationships and, again, help you think about building that diverse team of individuals around you.

Transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

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