title: EORTC QLQ-COMU26: a questionnaire for the assessment of communication between patients and professionals. Phase III of the module development in ten countries.
abstract: Communication between patients and professionals is one major aspect of the support offered to cancer patients. The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Group (QLG) has developed a cancer-specific instrument for the measurement of different issues related to the communication between cancer patients and their health care professionals.
  
  
  
  Questionnaire development followed the EORTC QLG Module Development Guidelines. A provisional questionnaire was pre-tested (phase III) in a multicenter study within ten countries from five cultural areas (Northern and South Europe, UK, Poland and Taiwan). Patients from seven subgroups (before, during and after treatment, for localized and advanced disease each, plus palliative patients) were recruited. Structured interviews were conducted. Qualitative and quantitative analyses have been performed.
  
  
  
  One hundred forty patients were interviewed. Nine items were deleted and one shortened. Patients' comments had a key role in item selection. No item was deleted due to just quantitative criteria. Consistency was observed in patients' answers across cultural areas. The revised version of the module EORTC QLQ-COMU26 has 26 items, organized in 6 scales and 4 individual items.
  
  
  
  The EORTC COMU26 questionnaire can be used in daily clinical practice and research, in various patient groups from different cultures. The next step will be an international field test with a large heterogeneous group of cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Oncology Departments, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain. jiarraras@correo.cop.es.
authors.forename: Juan Ignacio
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Arraras
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Wintner
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria.|Leopold-Franzens-University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sztankay
authors.affiliation: Health Outcomes Research Unit, Department of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Social Work, Ignatianum Academy, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Krzysztof A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Tomaszewski
authors.affiliation: University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hofmeister
authors.affiliation: Psycho-Oncology Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Costantini
authors.affiliation: Institut Curie, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bredart
authors.affiliation: Mount Vernon Cancer Centre, Northwood, UK.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Young
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Center of Psychology, University Hospital Center Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuljanic
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Education, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Iwona M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Tomaszewska
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Meropi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kontogianni
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, College of Public Health, Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wei-Chu
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Chie
authors.affiliation: QOL Department, EORTC HQ, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Dagmara
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kulis
authors.affiliation: Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Greimel
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Cancer; Communication; EORTC; Oncology; Quality of life; Questionnaire