Evaluation of the hospital environment for women with endometrial cancer

The aim of the study was describe the factors determining the evaluation of the hospital environment, especially satisfaction with care and individual needs of cancer patients.

The study comprised 80 women with endometrial cancer diagnosed and treated surgery in the Clinic of Gynaecology and Obstetrics in Rzeszow, Poland, between 2011-2012. The study used 3 questionnaires: the Goals Attainment Scaling (GAS) questionnaires, and questionnaires developed by the EORTC Quality of Life group, i.e. the QLQ C-30 (general module) and the In- PATSAT-32.

Respondents indicated 36 goals/expectations and the most common (over 50%) concerned the normal course of the post-operative period. The overall index of all goals which were met was 7.0 points. General quality of life reported by respondents before surgery was at a medium level (52.3+16.8%). Emotional functioning received the lowest scores (61.0+18.8%). Most respondents assessed manual skills of hospital doctors and nurses as the best in the In-PATSAT 32 scale i.e. 69.9±14.7% and 67.3±16.1%, respectively. The worst ratings concerned access to hospital from the outside (50.8±16.9%) and easy orientation inside the buildings (55.9±16.0%).

Analysis of correlations between GAS and the In-PATSAT32 scales proved that they cannot be used interchangeably since they measure different aspects of a patient's satisfaction with hospital care. For this reason, the application of idiographic and nomothetic tests among cancer patients is helpful for evaluation of the hospital environment.