The relationship between the Patient Generated Index (PGI) and measures of HR-QoL following diagnosis with head and neck cancer: are illness and treatment perceptions determinants of judgment-based outcomes?
OBJECTIVE
The primary objectives of this study were to examine the relationship between factors specified in the extended Self-Regulation Model (SRM) (illness and treatment perceptions and coping strategy) and three types of QoL outcome. Secondary objectives were to examine the relationships between outcome measures (general and cancer-specific HR-QoL and the Patient Generated Index (PGI)).


METHODS
Cross-sectional questionnaire study.


METHODS
Eighty-two newly diagnosed patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) completed the Illness Perception Questionnaire--Revised (IPQ-R), the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Brief COPE and the Life Orientation Test (LOT-R). Patient outcomes were assessed using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30, MOS Short Form Health Survey (SF-12v2) and the Patient Generated Index (PGI).


RESULTS
These pre-treatment cross-sectional results have shown that key components of the SRM (beliefs and coping) were explanatory factors of HR-QoL outcomes. The PGI was not associated with any of the components of the SRM. The PGI was partially correlated with HR-QoL measures; in particular, Global QoL/health status (EORTC) and Mental Component Summary scores (SF-12).


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that the illness perceptions approach may be a useful method for eliciting and understanding patients' beliefs regarding HNC. In order to maximize outcomes, simple interventions could address particular patient beliefs and coping styles.
Llewellyn
C  D
C
Department of Psychology, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, UK. c.d.llewellyn@bsms.ac.uk
McGurk
M
M
Weinman
J
J
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome