Patient satisfaction instruments for cancer clinical research or practice

Cancer patient satisfaction assessment is increasingly considered, owing to the need to assess evolving patterns of care organization and delivery or to test new cancer treatments and interventions. This article reviews cancer patient satisfaction questionnaires using key methodological criteria. In total, 17 patient satisfaction instruments validated for the field of oncology during the period of 1999-2009 were identified from previous literature reviews and a literature search. Most of these instruments were developed with the input of the target population, relating to various cancer care contexts or treatments, and demonstrating reasonable psychometric performance. Future endeavor should address the appropriate comparison and interpretation of satisfaction data across cultures/languages, cancer treatment or care programs.