Communication Effectiveness in Cancer Treatment

A Health Services Research Study to Evaluate Communication Effectiveness in Oncology Treatment

This pilot research trial studies communication effectiveness in cancer treatment. Studying how well patients and their doctors communicate about the treatment being given for cancer may help improve the decisions that patients and physicians make together.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To assess the feasibility of measuring discrepancies between patient and physician perceptions about the intent of therapy.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To explore possible correlation between various patient satisfaction indicators and discrepant patient perceptions about their care.

II. To gather exploratory data on patient characteristics that might correlate with discrepant patient perceptions about their care.

OUTLINE:

Patients complete questionnaires, including the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Treatment Satisfaction (FACIT-TS-G), the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Spiritual Well Being (FACIT-Sp12), the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS), and the Distress Thermometer (DT). Doctors also complete a questionnaire. Patients' medical records may be reviewed, if necessary.

After completion of study, patients are followed up for 5 years.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients with a diagnosis of cancer
• Patients must have been in active therapy for cancer for at least one month or have a scheduled surgical treatment of their cancer
• Ability to understand and the willingness to sign an institutional review board (IRB)-approved informed consent document