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The following scientific publications report the use of the Needs Evaluation Questionnaire:
2000 — Development and initial validation of the oncology NEQ
Tamburini M, Gangeri L, Brunelli C, Beltrami E, Boeri P, Borreani C, Fusco Karmann C, Greco M, Miccinesi G, Murru L, Trimigno P. Assessment of hospitalised cancer patients’ needs by the Needs Evaluation Questionnaire. Ann Oncol. 2000;11(1):31–37. DOI: 10.1023/A:1008396930832.
Original development and validation of the instrument for assessing the needs of hospitalized cancer patients.
2002 — Physical, psychological, and social needs of liver transplant candidates
Gangeri L, Tamburini M, Borreani C, Brunelli C, Miccinesi G, Murru L, Boeri P, Mazzaferro V. Candidates for liver transplantation for cancer: Physical, psychological, and social conditions. Transplantation. 2002;73:1627–1635. DOI: 10.1097/00007890-200205270-00018.
Application of the NEQ to patients being considered for liver transplantation for cancer.
2003 — Quantitative and qualitative analysis of needs during hospitalization
Tamburini M, Gangeri L, Brunelli C, Boeri P, Borreani C, Bosisio M, Fusco Karmann C, Greco M, Miccinesi G, Murru L, Trimigno P. Cancer patients’ needs during hospitalisation: a quantitative and qualitative study. BMC Cancer. 2003;3:12. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2407-3-12.
An in-depth investigation of care needs using quantitative and qualitative methods.
2009 — Validation of the factor structure of the NEQ
Annunziata MA, Muzzatti B, Altoè G. A contribution to the validation of the Needs Evaluation Questionnaire (NEQ): a study in the Italian context. Psycho-Oncology. 2009;18(5):549–553. DOI: 10.1002/pon.1445.
Psychometric validation of the questionnaire’s five-factor structure in Italian cancer patients.
2010 — Decision-making processes and quality of life in patients with brain cancer
Lucchiari C, Botturi A, Pravettoni G. The impact of decision models on self-perceived quality of life: a study on brain cancer patients. Ecancermedicalscience. 2010;4:187. DOI: 10.3332/ecancer.2010.187.
A study using a version of the NEQ to assess needs, with a particular focus on informational needs, in patients with brain cancer.
2010 — NEQ, psychological distress, and the clinical interview
Bonacchi A, Rossi A, Bellotti L, Franco S, Toccafondi A, Miccinesi G, Rosselli M. Assessment of psychological distress in cancer patients: a pivotal role for clinical interview. Psycho-Oncology. 2010;19(12):1294–1302. DOI: 10.1002/pon.1693.
A study of 320 hospitalized cancer patients explicitly using the NEQ alongside other psychological instruments. Use of the questionnaire was confirmed in the indexed abstract.
2011 — Differences in care needs between older and younger patients
Romito F, Corvasce C, Montanaro R, Mattioli V. Do elderly cancer patients have different care needs compared with younger ones? Tumori. 2011;97:374–379. DOI: 10.1177/030089161109700320.
A comparison of care needs among cancer patients in different age groups.
2015 — Unmet needs and the use of complementary therapies
Bonacchi A, Toccafondi A, Mambrini A, Cantore M, Muraca MG, Focardi F, Lippi D, Miccinesi G. Complementary needs behind complementary therapies in cancer patients. Psycho-Oncology. 2015;24(9):1124–1130. DOI: 10.1002/pon.3773.
A study of the associations between the use of complementary therapies and unmet needs in cancer patients.
2016 — Application and structure of the NEQ in cancer outpatients
Bonacchi A, Miccinesi G, Galli S, Primi C, Chiesi F, Lippi D, Muraca M, Toccafondi A. Use of the Needs Evaluation Questionnaire with cancer outpatients. Support Care Cancer. 2016;24(8):3507–3515. DOI: 10.1007/s00520-016-3176-4.
An assessment of the factor structure and needs of cancer outpatients, with a comparison to the inpatient setting.
2016 — Hope, spirituality, and unmet needs
Ripamonti CI, Miccinesi G, Pessi MA, Di Pede P, Ferrari M. Is it possible to encourage hope in non-advanced cancer patients? We must try. Ann Oncol. 2016;27(3):513–519. DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdv614.
A study of 276 patients using the NEQ alongside instruments for assessing symptoms, hope, and spirituality.
2017 — Validation and application of the NEQ in patients with advanced cancer in Greece
Konstantinidis TI, Samonis G, Sarafis P, Philalithis A. Assessment of Needs of Hospitalized Cancer Patients with Advanced Cancer. Global Journal of Health Science. 2017;9(6):184. DOI: 10.5539/gjhs.v9n6p184.
A study conducted in Crete involving 95 patients with advanced cancer. It examines unmet needs and the psychometric properties of the Greek version of the NEQ.
2017 — Psychometric analysis and measurement invariance
Chiesi F, Bonacchi A, Primi C, Miccinesi G. Assessing unmet needs in patients with cancer: An investigation of differential item functioning of the Needs Evaluation Questionnaire across gender, age and phase of the disease. PLoS One. 2017;12(7):e0179765. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179765.
A psychometric study based on Item Response Theory and Differential Item Functioning analysis in 762 patients.
2017 — Needs of neuro-oncology patients and caregivers
Scaratti C, Leonardi M, Saladino A, Anghileri E, Broggi M, Lamperti E, Fariselli L, Ayadi R, Tringali G, Schiavolin S. Needs of neuro-oncological patients and their caregivers during the hospitalization and after discharge: Results from a longitudinal study. Support Care Cancer. 2017;25:2137–2145. DOI: 10.1007/s00520-017-3619-6.
A longitudinal study of the needs of neuro-oncology patients and their caregivers.
2018 — Unmet needs at different stages of cancer
Bonacchi A, Di Miceli S, Lippi D, Muraca MG, Miccinesi G. Unmet needs of Italian cancer patients in different stages of the disease and care process. Tumori. 2018;104:285–291. DOI: 10.5301/tj.5000637.
An analysis of differences in unmet needs in relation to the stage of the disease and the care pathway.
2018 — Application of the NEQ in hospice care in Poland
Włostowska K, Doboszyńska A, Trylińska-Tekielska E. Assessment of the needs of hospice patients and their relatives by the Needs Evaluation Questionnaire. Palliative Medicine in Practice. 2018;12:186–192. DOI: 10.5603/PMPI.2018.0009.
Application of the NEQ to the needs of hospice patients and their family members.
2019 — Identification of patients with high levels of unmet needs
Bonacchi A, Fazzini E, Messina S, Muraca MG, Pacetti P, Di Miceli S, Miccinesi G. Sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological characteristics identify groups of Italian cancer patients with high rates of unmet needs. Tumori. 2019;105:288–295. DOI: 10.1177/0300891618792458.
A study of the sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological factors associated with a higher frequency of unmet needs.
2019 — Application of the Greek version in patients with hematological malignancies
Konstantinidis TI, Spinthouri M, Ramoutsaki A, Marnelou A, Kritsotakis G, Govina O. Assessment of Unmet Supportive Care Needs in Haematological Cancer Survivors. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2019;20(5):1487–1495. DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2019.20.5.1487.
A study of 102 patients with hematological malignancies in Greece, explicitly using the Greek version of the NEQ.
2021 — Chinese translation and validation of the NEQ
Gu YX, Zhang L, Peng X. Chinese version of Needs Evaluation Questionnaire and its reliability and validity test [article in Chinese: 癌症病人需求评估量表的汉化及信效度检验]. Chinese Nursing Research (护理研究). 2021;35:1174–1177. DOI: 10.12102/j.issn.1009-6493.2021.07.009.
Translation and assessment of the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the NEQ.
2023 — Adaptation of the NEQ for chronic liver disease
Bonacchi A, Chiesi F, Marunic G, Campani C, Gitto S, Lau C, Tagliaferro C, Forte P, Tarocchi M, Marra F. Needs evaluation questionnaire for liver disease: a novel assessment of unmet needs in patients with chronic liver disease. Hepatol Commun. 2023;7(2):e0007. DOI: 10.1097/HC9.0000000000000007.
Development and validation of the NEQ-LD, a version adapted to assess unmet needs in patients with chronic liver disease.
2023 — Non-medical needs of patients with lung cancer in Poland
Osowiecka K, Kurowicki M, Kołb-Sielecki J, Gwara A, Szwiec M, Nawrocki S, Rucińska M. Is It Possible to Notice the Unmet Non-Medical Needs among Cancer Patients? Application of the Needs Evaluation Questionnaire in Men with Lung Cancer. Curr Oncol. 2023;30(3):3484–3493. DOI: 10.3390/curroncol30030264.
Application of the NEQ in men with lung cancer, with a focus on unmet non-medical needs. The previously abbreviated list of authors has been completed.
2023 — Longitudinal study of needs during chemotherapy in Taiwan
Yen CJ, Hsu HT, Hsieh HF, Chen YJ, Huang MS, Lin PC. Supportive Care Needs Trajectories in Patients With Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy: A Longitudinal Study. J Nurs Res. 2023;31(3):e275. DOI: 10.1097/jnr.0000000000000556.
A longitudinal Taiwanese study using the NEQ-C, the 23-item Chinese version, to track changes in needs over four cycles of chemotherapy.
2024 — Multicenter study of non-medical needs in Poland
Osowiecka K, Szwiec M, Dolińska A, Gwara A, Kurowicki M, Kołb-Sielecki J, Działach E, Radecka W, Nawrocki S, Rucińska M. Unmet non-medical needs of cancer patients in Poland: a quantitative and qualitative study. Support Care Cancer. 2024;32:183. DOI: 10.1007/s00520-024-08387-5.
A multicenter study of 1,062 Polish cancer patients using the 23-item NEQ and combining quantitative and qualitative assessments.
2024 — Psychometric validation of the Polish version
Osowiecka K, Dolińska A, Szwiec M, Działach E, Nowakowski JJ, Rucińska M. Validation of the Standardized Needs Evaluation Questionnaire in Polish Cancer Patients. Cancers (Basel). 2024;16(8):1451. DOI: 10.3390/cancers16081451.
A study of the translation, cultural adaptation, and validation of the NEQ in the Polish cancer population. The article includes supplementary materials containing the Polish and English versions of the questionnaire.
2025 — Factors associated with unmet needs in Polish cancer patients
Osowiecka K, Szwiec M, Nowakowski JJ, Kurowicki M, Dolińska A, Gwara A, Działach E, Kołb-Sielecki J, Radecka W, Nawrocki S, Rucińska M. Sociodemographic and clinical factors related to high rates of unmet supportive care needs among Polish cancer patients. Front Psychol. 2025;16:1472026. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1472026.
An analysis of the sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with high levels of unmet supportive care needs in the Polish cancer population.
2025 — Development and validation of the NEQ-OP for oncology professionals
Chiesi F, Marunic G, Chioni A, Caligiani L, Belloni L, Giuli M, Miccinesi G, Bonacchi A. Assessing needs at the workplace: The development of a questionnaire for oncology professionals. Measurement and Evaluations in Cancer Care. 2025;3:100010.
DOI: 10.1016/j.ymecc.2024.100010.
The study presents the development and validation of the Needs Evaluation Questionnaire for Oncology Professionals (NEQ-OP), a questionnaire inspired by the original NEQ developed by Tamburini and colleagues, but specifically designed to identify the unmet workplace needs of oncology professionals.
2026 — Patients’ informational needs and clinicians’ ability to recognize them
Bonacchi A, Chiesi F, Tagliaferro C, Miccinesi G. Unmet informational needs of patients with cancer: do clinicians know which patients are in need? Support Care Cancer. 2026;34(3). DOI: 10.1007/s00520-026-10442-2.
A study examining the relationship between informational needs reported by cancer patients and healthcare professionals’ assessments of those same needs. It uses the informational component of the NEQ.
2026 — Development and validation of the NEQ for chronic pain
Chiesi F, Gori C, Primi C, Tagliaferro C, Tenti M, Bonacchi A. Assessing Unmet Needs of Patients With Chronic Pain: The Development and Validation of the Needs Evaluation Questionnaire for Chronic Pain. Pain Res Manag. 2026;2026(1):e6906748. DOI: 10.1155/prm/6906748.
Development and validation of the NEQ-CP, drawing on experience with the oncology NEQ and adapted for people with chronic pain.
2026 — Application of the Chinese version in patients with melanoma
Liao J, Rao M, Wang Y, Long L, Cai Y, Wei R. Unmet needs and associated factors among patients with melanoma: a mixed-methods study. Front Public Health. 2026;14:1956448. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1956448.
A Chinese mixed-methods study using the NEQ translated and validated by Gu and colleagues in 2021 to investigate unmet needs in people with melanoma.
