Next Article in Journal
The Impact of a Physiotherapy-Led Virtual Clinic in a South Australian Hospital: A Quantitative and Qualitative Investigation
Previous Article in Journal
Anesthesiologic Management of Adult and Pediatric Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea
 
 
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Use of the Survivors’ Unmet Needs Survey (SUNS) Framework to Understand the Needs of Colorectal Cancer Survivors in Thailand: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

by
Cherdsak Duangchan
1,*,
Sarah Abboud
2,
Rohan D. Jeremiah
2,
Geraldine Gorman
2,
Cherdsak Iramaneerat
3 and
Alicia K. Matthews
4
1
Princess Agrarajakumari Faculty of Nursing, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, Bangkok 10210, Thailand
2
College of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
3
Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
4
School of Nursing, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Healthcare 2025, 13(17), 2187; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13172187
Submission received: 20 May 2025 / Revised: 6 August 2025 / Accepted: 29 August 2025 / Published: 1 September 2025

Abstract

Background: A significant body of research has identified ongoing unmet needs among cancer survivors. However, there is limited information about the survivorship experiences of patients in low- and middle-income countries. This study examined the experiences of colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors in Thailand to understand their post-treatment needs and priorities. Methods: A qualitative descriptive study using semi-structured interviews was conducted with 24 colorectal cancer survivors purposively recruited from a large university hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. The interviews lasted 60–90 min, were audio-recorded, and transcribed verbatim. The data were analyzed using hybrid content analysis, guided by the five domains of the Survivors Unmet Needs Survey (SUNS): information, emotional health, financial concerns, access and continuity of care, and relationships. Results: Participants had a mean age of 57 (SD = 10.9) years. Most were male (58.3%) and diagnosed at a late stage (62.5%). All participants had undergone surgical treatment, and the average time since treatment completion was approximately 3.85 (SD = 2.8) years. Participants most often reported unmet needs in the information and emotional health domains. They also described inadequate physical infrastructure (e.g., overcrowded clinic spaces) and minimal involvement of multidisciplinary providers. Despite these challenges, survivors expressed strong trust in physicians and a preference for physician-led care. Telehealth was viewed as a potential solution to reduce access barriers and improve continuity of care. Conclusions: Guided by the SUNS framework, this study identified significant unmet needs among colorectal cancer survivors in Thailand, particularly in health information, psychological support, and care system infrastructure. Strengthening health information delivery, establishing dedicated survivorship clinics, and exploring scalable care models supported by telehealth could help bridge these gaps and promote more equitable survivorship care in low-resource settings.
Keywords: colorectal neoplasms; cancer survivors; survivorship; developing countries; health services; unmet needs; qualitative research; content analysis colorectal neoplasms; cancer survivors; survivorship; developing countries; health services; unmet needs; qualitative research; content analysis

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Duangchan, C.; Abboud, S.; Jeremiah, R.D.; Gorman, G.; Iramaneerat, C.; Matthews, A.K. Use of the Survivors’ Unmet Needs Survey (SUNS) Framework to Understand the Needs of Colorectal Cancer Survivors in Thailand: A Qualitative Descriptive Study. Healthcare 2025, 13, 2187. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13172187

AMA Style

Duangchan C, Abboud S, Jeremiah RD, Gorman G, Iramaneerat C, Matthews AK. Use of the Survivors’ Unmet Needs Survey (SUNS) Framework to Understand the Needs of Colorectal Cancer Survivors in Thailand: A Qualitative Descriptive Study. Healthcare. 2025; 13(17):2187. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13172187

Chicago/Turabian Style

Duangchan, Cherdsak, Sarah Abboud, Rohan D. Jeremiah, Geraldine Gorman, Cherdsak Iramaneerat, and Alicia K. Matthews. 2025. "Use of the Survivors’ Unmet Needs Survey (SUNS) Framework to Understand the Needs of Colorectal Cancer Survivors in Thailand: A Qualitative Descriptive Study" Healthcare 13, no. 17: 2187. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13172187

APA Style

Duangchan, C., Abboud, S., Jeremiah, R. D., Gorman, G., Iramaneerat, C., & Matthews, A. K. (2025). Use of the Survivors’ Unmet Needs Survey (SUNS) Framework to Understand the Needs of Colorectal Cancer Survivors in Thailand: A Qualitative Descriptive Study. Healthcare, 13(17), 2187. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13172187

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop