What do patients want from their radiation oncologist? Initial results from a prospective trial.
OBJECTIVE
To assess patients' initial physician preferences using a newly developed instrument.


METHODS
A total of 182 patients with a primary diagnosis of prostate, breast, or lung cancer referred for consultation to the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Department of Radiation Oncology enrolled in our institutional review board-approved protocol. All patients completed patient preference instrument surveys before meeting their radiation oncologist. Survey responses to 10 statements were categorized into three groups (agree, neutral, or disagree), and the association of survey responses by cancer site was tested with chi-squared tests.


RESULTS
Ninety-nine percent of all patients preferred to be addressed by their first name in encounters with their radiation oncologist. There were significant associations of Item 3 (hand holding) with gender (p = 0.039) and education (p = 0.028). The responses to Item 5, a statement that patients would feel uncomfortable if the radiation oncologist offered to hug them at the end of treatment, was significantly associated with disease site (p < 0.0001). Further analysis was performed for Item 5 and revealed that the male lung cancer patients had a much higher rate of disagreement with Item 5 compared with prostate cancer patients (37% vs. 18%).


CONCLUSIONS
Results of this study may afford greater insight and foster better understanding of what patients want from their radiation oncologist. For breast, lung, and prostate cancer patients, initial preferences for their radiation oncologist are generally similar, according to this tool. However, there are important difference among cancer sites (and gender) regarding physical contact at the end of treatment.
Bhatnagar
Ajay K
AK
Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute/University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Cancer Centers, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, USA. abhatnagar@cancertreatmentservices.com
Land
Stephanie R
SR
Shogan
Alyson
A
Rodgers
Edwin E
EE
Heron
Dwight E
DE
Flickinger
John C
JC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009275:Names; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D018787:Radiation Oncology; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014110:Touch