title: Association between patient-provider communication and lung cancer stigma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The majority (95 %) of lung cancer patients report stigma, with 48 % of lung cancer patients specifically reporting feeling stigmatized by their medical providers. Typically associated with the causal link to smoking and the historically poor prognosis, lung cancer stigma can be seen as a risk factor for poor psychosocial and medical outcomes in the context of lung cancer diagnosis and treatment. Thus, modifiable targets for lung cancer stigma-reducing interventions are needed. The present study sought to test the hypothesis that good patient-provider communication is associated with lower levels of lung cancer stigma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Lung cancer patients (n = 231) across varying stages of disease participated in a cross-sectional, multisite study designed to understand lung cancer stigma. Patients completed several survey measures, including demographic and clinical characteristics, a measure of patient-provider communication (Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Program or CAHPS), and a measure of lung cancer stigma (Cataldo Lung Cancer Stigma Scale).
  
  
  RESULTS
  As hypothesized, results indicated that good patient-provider communication was associated with lower levels of lung cancer stigma (r = -0.18, p < 0.05). These results remained significant, even when controlling for relevant demographic and clinical characteristics (Stan. β = -0.15, p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results indicate that good patient-provider communication is associated with lower levels of lung cancer stigma, suggesting that improving patient-provider communication may be a good intervention target for reducing lung cancer stigma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, 525 East 68th St., Box 39, New York, NY, 10065, USA. mes2050@med.cornell.edu.|Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA. mes2050@med.cornell.edu.
authors.forename: Megan Johnson
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
authors.forename: Heidi A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Hamann
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Harold C, Simmons Cancer Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Anna J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Jamie S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ostroff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003142:Communication; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016522:Oncology Service, Hospital / Q000592:standards*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D057545:Social Stigma; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Lung cancer; Lung cancer stigma; Patient-provider communication