OBJECTIVES:

To unveil unmet health and daily life needs present during the therapeutic trajectories (TT) of adult patients with lung cancer in Chile, according to the perceptions of patients and civil society leaders.

METHODS:

Qualitative case study design including 19 online and audio-recorded semi-structured interviews (18 patients and 1 civil society leader). Verbatim transcription and subsequent thematic analysis of the information. The study was approved by the scientific ethics committee at Universidad del Desarrollo and funded by the Chamber of Pharmaceutical Innovation in Chile.

RESULTS:

We identified six areas of unsatisfied general needs throughout the TT: pain management, psychological support, support for family and significant others, comprehensive care, effective communication, and humanization of care. Also, we identified four specific areas of unmet need after diagnosis: sexuality, strengthening self-esteem, physical support, and long-term care. Users perceived that a good quality of care was related to the quality of care directly received from health professionals and administrative staff. Patients from the public and private health systems identify that the humanization of care provided by health professionals in the private system is better than that of the public system, and they justify these differences based on the high demand of the public system.

CONCLUSIONS:

Investigating unmet needs in lung cancer TT processes is critical to achieving a patient-centered lung cancer care model in Chile. TT research provides essential information for the health decision-making process in Chile and elsewhere. In addition, this research contributes to the generation of new knowledge that can be used in economic models to add value to health technologies.