The physician-patient relationship and quality of life: lessons from chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
We evaluated patients' satisfaction with the physician caring for them as part of an international web-based survey of quality of life (QOL) in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL; n=1482). Over half (55.9%) of patients thought about their diagnosis daily. Although >90% felt their doctor understood how their disease was progressing (i.e., stage, blood counts, nodes), <70% felt their physician understood how CLL affected their QOL (anxiety, worry, fatigue). Reported satisfaction with their physician in a variety of areas strongly related to patients' measured emotional and overall QOL (all p<0.001). Physician use of specific euphemistic phrases to characterize CLL (e.g., "CLL is the 'good' leukemia") was also associated with lower emotional QOL among patients (p<0.001). These effects on QOL remained (p<0.001) after adjustment for age, co-morbid health conditions, fatigue, and treatment status. The effectiveness with which physicians help patients adjust to the physical, intellectual, and emotional challenges of CLL appears to impact patient QOL.
Shanafelt
Tait D
TD
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, United States. shanafelt.tait@mayo.edu
Bowen
Deborah A
DA
Venkat
Chaya
C
Slager
Susan L
SL
Zent
Clive S
CS
Kay
Neil E
NE
Reinalda
Megan
M
Tun
Han
H
Sloan
Jeff A
JA
Call
Timothy G
TG
D001007:Anxiety; D003625:Data Collection; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000523:psychology*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*