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Measuring the Quality of Personal Care in Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer
K A Foley1, P A Groome1, D Feldman-Stewart2
1Cancer Care and Epidemiology, Queen's Cancer Research Institute, Kingston, Ontario, Canada; Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Clinical Oncology (Royal College of Radiologists (Great Britain))
|October 17, 2017
Summary
Patients undergoing radiotherapy for prostate cancer rated most personal care elements highly. However, communication about the disease and treatment emerged as key priorities for improving care quality.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Patient Care
- Quality Improvement
Background:
- Radical radiotherapy for prostate cancer involves significant non-technical aspects of care, termed personal care.
- Assessing and improving the quality of personal care is crucial for patient experience and outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the quality of personal care received by patients undergoing radical radiotherapy for prostate cancer.
- To identify specific elements of personal care that require prioritization for quality improvement initiatives.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire was administered to 108 patients receiving radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer.
- Patients rated the importance and quality of 143 non-technical care elements.
- Priorities for improvement were determined by analyzing elements rated as 'very important' and 'less than very good' by patients.
Main Results:
- The response rate was 65%, with a median of 79% of elements rated 'very good'.
- Nearly all patients identified at least some aspects of their care as suboptimal.
- Communication regarding the disease and treatment was identified as the highest priority for quality improvement.
Conclusions:
- While most patients perceive their personal care positively, opportunities for improvement exist.
- Integrating patient-perceived importance with quality ratings highlights communication as a critical area for enhancing prostate cancer care.
