Psychosocial and clinical predictors of patient satisfaction with cancer care.

Purpose: Patient satisfaction with healthcare was recognized as an indispensable component of healthcare quality assurance programs for decades. Limited research has explored psychosocial variables impacting patient satisfaction with cancer care. The objective of our study was to identify the level of patient satisfaction with cancer care in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and determine the psychosocial and clinical predictors of patient satisfaction. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was carried out in 2018-2019 with patients with cancer at the Outpatient Oncology Clinic at King Saud University Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire contained a visual analog scale (VAS) of satisfaction with cancer care, a VAS of satisfaction with social support, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Depression scale, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale. Results: Out of the 400 patients approached, 280 agreed to participate in the study. Of the 280 patients participating in the study, 65% were satisfied with cancer care. Higher satisfaction was associated with being non-Saudi, being employed, having fewer household residents (≤4), being satisfied with social support, not receiving radiotherapy, and receiving hormonal or biological therapy. Having anxiety or depression was also associated with lower satisfaction. After adjustment for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, being satisfied with social support, having ≤ 4 household residents, receiving hormonal therapy, and receiving biological therapy rather than radiotherapy were all independent predictors of higher satisfaction with cancer care. Conclusion: This study found an inadequate level of patient satisfaction with cancer care. Higher levels of satisfaction were associated with being satisfied with social support, using biological and hormonal therapy, while lower satisfaction was associated with a larger number of household residents (>4), depression, anxiety and using radiotherapy.

Prevalence and determinants of distress among oncology patients at a tertiary care medical city in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of distress in patients with cancer in Saudi Arabia and to identify common psychosocial stressors in these patients. We also looked for associations between distress and psychological, sociodemographic, and medical factors. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed in the oncology outpatient clinic at King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from January 2018 to December 2019. It included 280 patients with breast cancer, colorectal cancer, or lymphoma. Sociodemographic information was collected using questionnaire, along with information on medical history and any psychiatric history. Distress was assessed using the Distress Thermometer and Problem List. Satisfaction with social support was rated using the visual analog scale. All patients were screened for depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item depression scale and anxiety using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale. RESULTS: The prevalence of distress in our study population was found to be 46%. Distress was associated with several practical, family, emotional, and physical stressors in the problem list. Logistic regression identified predictors of distress to be anxiety (odds ratio [OR] 8.7, confidence interval [CI] 1.98-38.24, p=0.002) and receiving radiotherapy (OR 3.6, CI 1.33-9.99, p=0.009), while Saudi nationality (OR 0.22, CI 0.05-0.95, p=0.037) and stage I cancer (OR 0.18, CI 0.05-1.40, p=0.002) were associated with low distress. CONCLUSION: Approximately half of cancer patients were found to have distress. Anxiety, advanced cancer stage, and radiotherapy were independently associated with distress.