title: Assessment of needs, health-related quality of life, and satisfaction with care in breast cancer patients to better target supportive care.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study assessed whether breast cancer (BC) patients express similar levels of needs for equivalent severity of symptoms, functioning difficulties, or degrees of satisfaction with care aspects. BC patients who did (or not) report needs in spite of similar difficulties were identified among their sociodemographic or clinical characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred and eighty-four (73% response rate) BC patients recruited in ambulatory or surgery hospital services completed the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life questionnaire (EORTC QLQ)-C30 quality of life [health-related quality of life (HRQOL)], the EORTC IN-PATSAT32 (in-patient) or OUT-PATSAT35 (out-patient) satisfaction with care, and the supportive care needs survey short form 34-item (SCNS-SF34) measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HRQOL or satisfaction with care scale scores explained 41%, 45%, 40% and 22% of variance in, respectively, psychological, physical/daily living needs, information/health system, and care/support needs (P < 0.001). BC patients' education level, having children, hospital service attendance, and anxiety/depression levels significantly predicted differences in psychological needs relative to corresponding difficulties (adjusted R² = 0.11). Medical history and anxiety/depression levels significantly predicted differences in information/health system needs relative to degrees of satisfaction with doctors, nurses, or radiotherapy technicians and general satisfaction (adjusted R² = 0.12). Unmet needs were most prevalent in the psychological domains across hospital services.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Assessment of needs, HRQOL, and satisfaction with care highlights the subgroups of BC patients requiring better supportive care targeting.
authors.affiliation: Psycho-Oncology Unit, Supportive Care Department, Institute Curie, Paris, France. anne.bredart@curie.net
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brédart
authors.forename: J-L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Kop
authors.forename: A-C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Griesser
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fiszer
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zaman
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Panes-Ruedin
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jeanneret
authors.forename: J-F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Delaloye
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zimmers
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Berthet
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dolbeault
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D005791:Patient Care; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: HRQOL; care improvement; satisfaction with care; supportive care needs