Table 1.
Survey Items and Rates of Opportunities to Improve That Compose the Three Proposed Problem Scores
| Problem Score and Survey Items | Frequency of Opportunity to Improve (%) |
|---|---|
| Time 1: Communication at the time of diagnosis problem score | |
| How much information did you receive about your prognosis? | 13.8 |
| Was your prognosis explained to you in a way that you could understand? | 5.4 |
| Was your prognosis presented to you in a sensitive manner? | 6.4 |
| How much emotional support did you receive from your oncologist or cancer care providers when your prognosis was discussed with you? | 10.3 |
| Were you allowed to ask as many questions as you wanted about the prognosis of your cancer? | 5.9 |
| How often have you been given confusing or contradictory information about your prognosis from your oncologist or other cancer care providers? | 14.4 |
| How often does your oncologist or cancer care provider explain your test results in a way that you can understand? | 14.6 |
| How often do you want more information about your test results than you receive from your cancer care providers? | 35.4 |
| When you see other physicians involved in your cancer care (eg, primary care physician, surgeon, radiation oncologist), how often are they aware of your test results? | 28.3 |
| How often have you been given confusing or contradictory information about your test results from your cancer care providers and/or other physicians involved in your care (eg, primary care, surgeon, radiation oncologist)? | 14.6 |
| How comfortable do you feel asking questions about your cancer treatment plan? | 10.5 |
| Do you feel that your oncologist or cancer care providers listen to your concerns about your treatment plan? | 2.0 |
| How often do your cancer care providers allow your family/friends to ask as many questions as they want about your treatment plan? | 3.0 |
| How much emotional support do your cancer care providers give to your family/friends? | 7.6 |
| How often would you say that your oncologist and cancer care providers work together as a team? | 16.3 |
| How often do you feel that your oncologist or cancer care providers are not paying enough attention to your care? | 13.2 |
| How often do you feel that you and your family are left on your own to make sure that the right things get done for your cancer care? | 14.7 |
| Have you received clear instructions from your cancer care providers on whom you should call after regular office hours and/or over the weekend? | 12.8 |
| How often were you able to reach your oncologist or his/her coverage in a timely manner? | 15.6 |
| How often have you had to wait too long to see one of your cancer care providers when you have had an urgent medical problem? | 7.8 |
| Time 2: Communication at the time of treatment decision making problem score | |
| How much information do your cancer care providers give you about what you can do to manage side effects from your chemotherapy treatments? | 6.9 |
| How confident are you that you know what to do to manage and/or prevent the side effects from your chemotherapy treatments? | 37.1 |
| How much information do your cancer care providers give you about what you should monitor after your chemotherapy treatments? | 8.3 |
| How much information have you received from your cancer care providers about chemotherapy and/or radiation treatments? | 3.8 |
| How much information have you received from your cancer providers about the possible risks of chemotherapy and/or radiation treatments? | |
| How much information have you received from your cancer providers about the benefits of chemotherapy and/or radiation treatments? | 3.8 |
| How often do you feel that your cancer care providers listen to your concerns about the possible side effects of chemotherapy and/or radiation treatments? | 16.6 |
| How much information have you received from your cancer care providers about possible changes in your physical appearance as a result of chemotherapy treatments? | 6.3 |
| Have you received clear instructions from your cancer care providers on whom you should call after regular office hours and/or over the weekend? | 11.3 |
| How often were you able to reach your oncologist or his/her coverage in a timely manner? | 13.7 |
| How often have you had to wait too long to see one of your cancer care providers when you had an urgent medical problem? | 11.9 |
| How often do your oncologist or cancer care providers work together as a team? | 19.0 |
| How often would you say that your oncologist and other physicians involved in your cancer care (eg, primary care physician, surgeon, radiation oncologist) work together as a team? | 22.5 |
| How often do you feel that your cancer care providers are not paying enough attention to your care? | 11.4 |
| How often do you feel that you and your family are left on your own to make sure that the right things get done for your cancer care? | 14.6 |
| How often do your cancer care providers explain what they are going to do in a way that you can understand? | 17.4 |
| Time 2: Cancer patient experience of treatments problem score | |
| How often do your cancer care providers do everything they can to promote your comfort during treatment? | 10.7 |
| How often are your cancer care providers available to speak with you when you have a concern about your chemotherapy? | 10.1 |
| How often do the chemotherapy treatment rooms have adequate space so that your family can be with you? | 14.7 |
| Overall, do the chemotherapy treatment rooms provide you with enough privacy? | 6.4 |
| How often is everything done to make you as comfortable as possible while you are receiving your chemotherapy treatment? | 9.0 |
| How much support do you get from the staff during chemotherapy treatments? | 1.9 |
| How often do the staff promote your dignity during chemotherapy treatments? | 5.8 |
| Does the physical environment of the treatment room allow you to focus on healing and recovering from your cancer? | 3.3 |
| Overall, how often have you been treated with respect by your cancer care providers? | 5.7 |