Patient satisfaction with service quality as a predictor of survival outcomes in breast cancer
Menée auprès de 1 521 patientes atteintes d'un cancer du sein et traitées en milieu hospitalier, cette étude américaine analyse leur satisfaction vis-à-vis de la qualité des soins reçus et l'association entre le degré de satisfaction et la survie
Purpose : Despite the recognized relevance of symptom burden in breast cancer, there has been limited exploration of whether an individual patient's assessment of the overall quality of care received might influence outcome. We therefore evaluated the relationship between patient-reported satisfaction with service quality and survival in breast cancer.
Methods : A random sample of 1,521 breast cancer patients treated at Cancer Treatment Centers of America. A questionnaire which covered several dimensions of patient satisfaction was administered. Items were measured on a seven-point Likert scale ranging from “completely dissatisfied” to “completely satisfied”. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression was used to evaluate the association between patient satisfaction and survival.
Results : Of 1,521 patients, 836 were newly diagnosed, and 685 had previously been treated. A number of 409, 611, 323, and 178 patients had stage I, II, III, and IV disease, respectively. A total of 1,106 (72.7 %) patients were completely satisfied with the overall service quality, while 415 (27.3 %) were not. On univariate analysis, completely satisfied patients had a significantly lower risk of mortality compared to those not completely satisfied (HR = 0.62; 95 % CI 0.50–0.76; p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, completely satisfied patients demonstrated significantly lower mortality (HR = 0.71; 95 % CI 0.57–0.87; p = 0.001) compared to those not completely satisfied.
Conclusions : Patient satisfaction with service quality was an independent predictor of survival in breast cancer. Further exploration of a possible meaningful relationship between patient satisfaction with the care they receive and outcomes in breast cancer is indicated.
Supportive Care in Cancer , résumé, 2013