Self-reported experience and outcomes of care among stomach cancer patients at a median follow-up time of 27 months from diagnosis.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to identify clinical experiences associated with outcomes of care among stomach cancer patients.


METHODS
Four hundred thirty-two patients who had a diagnosis of stage I-III stomach cancer from 2001 through 2002 from two hospitals in South Korea responded to a survey questionnaire including sociodemographic and clinical data, information about care experiences, satisfaction with care, and quality of life (QOL).


RESULTS
Involvement in decision making [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.81; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.13 to 2.89] and reflection of patients' opinions in treatment decisions (aOR = 2.54; 95% CI, 1.65 to 3.93) were associated with decision satisfaction. The factors associated with willingness to choose the same treatment over again were involvement in decision making (aOR = 2.37; 95% CI, 1.53 to 3.68) and no treatment toxicity (aOR = 0.50; 95% CI, 0.29 to 0.87). Involvement in decision making, reflection of patients' opinions in treatment decisions, and treatment toxicity were associated with some functioning subscales of QOL (p < 0.05). Regular follow-up, however, was associated with poor social functioning.


CONCLUSIONS
Quality improvement efforts for stomach cancer patients should focus not only on the quality of primary tumor therapy but also on how patients experience their care, such as patient-centered decision making, experience of treatment toxicity, and regular follow-up.
Kim
Sung
S
Department of Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea.
Bae
Jae-Moon
JM
Kim
Young-Woo
YW
Ryu
Keun Won
KW
Lee
Jun Ho
JH
Noh
Jae-Hyung
JH
Sohn
Tae-Sung
TS
Hong
Seong-Kweon
SK
Lee
Myung Kyung
MK
Park
Sang Min
SM
Yun
Young Ho
YH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010358:Patient Participation; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome