Exploring Correlations Between Holistic Needs In Lung Cancer Patients: Insights From Dependancy Tool Data

Abstract

[Formula presented] Introduction Holistic assessment is central to personalised cancer care, capturing physical, emotional, practical, and family-related concerns. Understanding how these domains interact can inform integrated care planning and resource allocation. This analysis investigates correlations between patient-reported concerns using the Macmillan Holistic Needs Assessment (HNA), and an adapted dependency tool, aiming to identify patterns that influence complexity and support needs. Method A retrospective secondary analysis was conducted using patient-reported HNA data collected from 210 lung cancer patients across the UK, covering all disease stages. Five domains were examined: Physical Symptoms (0-40), Physical Concerns (0-76), Practical Concerns (0-64), Emotional Concerns (0-48), and Family Concerns (0-20). Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated, where 1.00 indicates perfect correlation and 0.00 indicates no correlation. Data interpretation focused on identifying strong, moderate, and weak associations and exploring potential drivers based on patient responses. Outcomes Strongest correlation: Physical Symptoms Physical Concerns (r = 0.75) Emotional Concerns strongly linked to Practical (r = 0.65) and Family Concerns (r = 0.62) Practical Concerns moderately correlated with Physical Symptoms (r = 0.49) and Family Concerns (r = 0.54) Weakest correlation: Physical Symptoms Family Concerns (r = 0.40) Interpretation: Physical burden drives broader physical concerns, while emotional distress is amplified by practical and family-related challenges. Variability suggests influence from coping strategies, socio-economic context, and perceived family impact. Conclusion The Dependency Tool data gathered does demonstrate a correlation between several types of patient concerns. The strongest link identified is between physical symptoms and physical concerns. Despite CNS's subjective identification of a strong link between patients' emotional concerns and their physical concerns, the evidence only demonstrates a moderate correlation. There is stronger evidence that psychosocial distress is closely tied to logistical challenges and perceived family burden. Disclosure No significant relationship. Copyright © 2026 Elsevier B.V.