[Cancer patient's satisfaction assessment using the EORTC QLQ-SAT32: comparison between self-assessment and interview response]. / Satisfaction par rapport aux soins en oncologie évaluée par le QLQ-SAT32 de l'EORTC: comparaison entre auto-passation et entretien téléphonique.

BACKGROUND: For pertinent investigation of patient satisfaction it is important to know what type of data collection procedure yields optimal results. In this study, we compared a self- versus interview administration of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) patient satisfaction questionnaire (QLQ-SAT32), noting response and item omission rates. We also assessed the correlation and agreement between responses according to these modalities of questionnaire administration. METHODS: 123 patients recruited in two anti-cancer Centers in France were asked to complete the QLQ-SAT32 at home within 2 weeks of hospital discharge and were randomly allocated to participate in a telephone interview-administration of the QLQ-SAT32, either before or after self-completing the QLQ-SAT32. RESULTS: 104 patients completed both modalities of questionnaire administration. Agreement proved excellent for the doctors' and nurses' subscales and satisfactory for the services' subscale and the general satisfaction single item. However, a significant difference in response rate showed up between Centers (different interviewers) and the interview modality revealed an item omission rate higher than for the self-administration modality. CONCLUSION: Self- and interview-administration of the QLQ-SAT32 provided similar responses however different response rate between interviewers and higher item omission rate in interviews suggests a biasing effect of that modality of data collection.

Validation of the EORTC QLQ-SAT32 cancer inpatient satisfaction questionnaire by self- versus interview-assessment comparison.

Doubts are expressed on the validity of patient satisfaction questionnaires. High satisfaction levels are consistently reported. Within the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) quality of life group, we developed a cancer inpatient satisfaction questionnaire (QLQ-SAT32), adopting several precautions to overcome the ceiling effect commonly reported in satisfaction ratings. Since patients are often more critical when expressing themselves in an interview, in order to study the validity of the QLQ-SAT32, we assessed the agreement between self- and interview-administered QLQ-SAT32 responses. One hundred and twenty three patients were asked to complete the QLQ-SAT32 at home within 2 weeks of hospital discharge and were randomly allocated to participate in a telephone interview-administration of the QLQ-SAT32, either before or after self-completing the QLQ-SAT32. One hundred and four of them completed both modalities of questionnaire administration. Correlation and agreement between self- and interview-administered QLQ-SAT32 ratings were examined, for each subscale and the general satisfaction item of the QLQ-SAT32, using Spearman correlation, intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) or weighted kappa coefficients. Agreement showed excellent for the doctors' and nurses' subscales and satisfactory for the services' subscale and the general satisfaction single item. The telephone interview-administration modality did not prove an adequate procedure to assess the validity of a patient satisfaction questionnaire.