Continuity of care of cancer patients. Analysis of theoretical models and survey tools of continuity of care in people with a cancer diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: The Italian Ministry of Health declared oncology a priority and stressed the importance of ensuring continuity and integration in cancer care pathways. In order to monitor the quality of cancer care pathways, we need to explore patients' experience of the continuity of care, identifying the dimensions that define continuity. METHODS: We found 886 relevant articles in the Pubmed database from 1987 to 5 November 2013. The search strategy for the electronic database was defined using the Population, Intervention, Comparison and Outcome(s) framework (PICO) to identify keywords. Two researchers independently reviewed records identified through the search strategy, analyzing continuity dimensions, specificity and/or transversal domains. RESULTS: We selected 20 articles that measure the patients' experience of continuity of care: 7 articles including 5 questionnaires [Questionnaire by King et al. 2008; Cancer care coordination Questionnaire (Cccq); Patient Continuity of Care Questionnaire (Pccq); Medical Care Questionnaire (Mcq); Continuity and Coordination of Care Questionnaire (CCCQ)]; 6 articles evaluating the relationship between patient and his/her physician (the same across the care pathway) in terms of frequency and/or dispersion; 6 articles considering one subscale of larger scales designed to evaluate the generic cancer care service patient experience; 1 revealing four organizational indicators of care pathway continuity / discontinuity. CONCLUSIONS: We traced 3 transversal dimensions across the individual analyses: informational, organizational, relational continuity. It follows that in order to cater to the needs of cancer patients, we need to simultaneously focus on these three dimensions along the cancer care pathway. In line with these results, we promoted the "R.In.Cu.ORAM.i" study (Networks for Integrated Treatment of colorectal and breast cancer), in Area Vasta Romagna Area (Italy), and developed a continuity of care patient-experience continuity tool.

Hospital network performance: a survey of hospital stakeholders' perspectives.

Hospital networks are an emerging organizational form designed to face the new challenges of public health systems. Although the benefits introduced by network models in terms of rationalization of resources are known, evidence about stakeholders' perspectives on hospital network performance from the literature is scanty. Using the Competing Values Framework of organizational effectiveness and its subsequent adaptation by Minvielle et al., we conducted in 2009 a survey in five hospitals of an Italian network for oncological care to examine and compare the views on hospital network performance of internal stakeholders (physicians, nurses and the administrative staff). 329 questionnaires exploring stakeholders' perspectives were completed, with a response rate of 65.8%. Using exploratory factor analysis of the 66 items of the questionnaire, we identified 4 factors, i.e. Centrality of relationships, Quality of care, Attractiveness/Reputation and Staff empowerment and Protection of workers' rights. 42 items were retained in the analysis. Factor scores proved to be high (mean score>8 on a 10-item scale), except for Attractiveness/Reputation (mean score 6.79), indicating that stakeholders attach a higher importance to relational and health care aspects. Comparison of factor scores among stakeholders did not reveal significant differences, suggesting a broadly shared view on hospital network performance.