Patient experience of follow‐up after surgery for kidney cancer: a focus group study

To explore patient experience of follow‐up care after kidney cancer surgery and develop recommendations for best practice. In particular, while most participants felt that their physical needs had been met, many had struggled with unmet emotional needs and a lack of information and resources. This was especially noted in the period immediately following surgery when feelings of abandonment were common and around follow‐up scans and routine appointments, which were a source of anxiety. The participants also described concerns about the lack of consistency between hospitals and centres around the UK, with differences in the content and quality of follow‐up care. Based on the results, the authors developed a list of recommendations to address some of the challenges described through relatively minor changes to the care pathway. The study identified gaps and variability in current follow‐up care after kidney cancer surgery and has developed a set of recommendations that, if implemented, would improve the follow‐up care experience for these patients.