Perceptions of oncology providers and cancer survivors on the role of nutrition in cancer care and their views on the “nutricare” program

Cancer patients and survivors can experience treatment related side effects that impact nutrition status, as well as unwanted weight loss, weight gain and poor dietary quality. Therefore, they are a group that would benefit from nutrition intervention. A qualitative study was conducted online (six focus groups and two interviews) with 12 oncology providers and 12 survivors in the United States. Participants were asked about the role of nutrition in survivors’ health, appropriate components of nutrition care for cancer patients, and strategies to integrate nutrition into oncology care. Feedback on a proposed program, “NutriCare”, was also sought. Focus groups were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed for themes. Four main themes emerged: (1) nutrition is an important component of oncology care and source of empowerment for cancer patients; (2) in the NutriCare program, the prescription pad component was viewed as a critical aspect, and there was also a preference for dealing with patients and survivors separately; (3) for implementation, the most appropriate time for providers to talk to patients about nutrition is during the development of the treatment plan. Reinforcement of key nutrition messages by providers was also highlighted; (4) major barriers included lack of time and motivation by providers. Survivors were interested in and providers supportive of integrating nutrition into oncology care.