A longitudinal analysis of patient satisfaction and subsequent quality of life in Hong Kong Chinese breast and nasopharyngeal cancer patients

Abstract

BACKGROUND:: We evaluated the longitudinal course of the relationship between patient satisfaction and quality of life (QoL) in Chinese breast and nasopharyngeal cancer patients. METHODS:: A sample of Chinese breast (n = 250) and nasopharyngeal (n = 242) cancer patients were assessed during their first outpatient visit (baseline) and at 2 follow-up interviews (FU1 and FU2). The Chinese version of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General Scale (FACT-G (Ch)) was adopted to assess QoL. Patient satisfaction was assessed by the 9-item Chinese Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (ChPSQ-9) and the cognitive subscale of the Medical Interview Satisfaction Scale (MISS-Cog). Linear mixed effects models were fitted to identify predictors of patient satisfaction and QoL. RESULTS:: Recurrence after baseline (std β = 0.58; 95% CI: 0.17, 0.98; P < 0.05) was the only predictor of MISS-Cog, age (std β = 0.01; 95% CI: 0.00, 0.02; P < 0.05) and depressed mood (std β = 0.20; 95% CI: 0.10, 0.30; P < 0.001) of ChPSQ-9. After adjusting for sociodemographic and psychosocial variables, both ChPSQ-9 (std β = 0.13; 95% CI: 0.07, 0.19; P < 0.001) and MISS-Cog (std β = 0.07; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.12; P < 0.05) independently predicted FACT-G (Ch) scores. CONCLUSIONS:: These findings suggest both general emotional support and informational support are important in predicting QoL among Chinese breast and nasopharyngeal cancer patients. Copyright © 2009 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.