Patient Reported Outcomes in Multidisciplinary Care for High-risk Head and Neck Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Multidisciplinary care pathways may improve quality of care, yet little is known about patients' perspectives regarding multidisciplinary treatment for high-risk head and neck cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. This study examined health-related quality of life, decisional conflict, and satisfaction with care in 78 high-risk head and neck cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma patients undergoing multidisciplinary care. Pre-treatment, patients completed a baseline questionnaire, the EuroQoL-5D-5L, and the Decisional Conflict Scale. One month post-treatment, they completed the EuroQoL-5D-5L, Basal and Squamous Cell Carcinoma Quality of Life, and EORTC IN-PATSAT32 satisfaction questionnaires. Mean generic health-related quality of life scores were 0.76 pre-treatment and 0.81 post-treatment (p = 0.077), with minimal impact on disease-specific health-related quality of life (mean Basal and Squamous Cell Carcinoma Quality of Life scores ranging from 0.46 to 1.05). However, 73.7% of patients expressed worries about prognosis, and 12% of patients reported concerns regarding diagnosis and treatment substantially affecting health-related quality of life. The mean Decisional Conflict Scale total score was 26.61, with 19.2% of patients exceeding the clinically relevant threshold of 37.5, indicating decision delay or uncertainty regarding implementation. Approximately one-third of patients reported a need for better decision-making support. Overall, patients reported high satisfaction with care. In conclusion, while multidisciplinary care had minimal impact on health-related quality of life and resulted in high patient satisfaction, one-third of patients required more comprehensive information and value clarification.