Table 2.

Overview of all included studies sorted on outcome

First author [reference], country, year	Design	Study population	HRQoL, anxiety and/or depression instrument	Information provision instrument	Results	Quality score
HRQoL
Frodj [12], Sweden, 2009	Prospective	36 carcinoid tumour patients	EORTC QLQ-C30	CASC	Satisfaction with doctors’ provision of information was positively related to emotional function, global QoL at T1–T3	9
Llewellyn [27], UK, 2006	Prospective	82 newly diagnosed head and neck cancer patients; 47% had an early stage (1 or 2)	General Health Survey Questionnaire, Short Form (SF-12)	SCIP	Satisfaction with information before treatment was predictive of mental component summary scores 6–8 months after the end of treatment, but not of physical component scores	13
Yu [35], China, 2001	Prospective	211 nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients; 41% had an early stage (I or II), 59% had a higher stage	FACT-G	Medical Interview Satisfaction Scale	More satisfaction with the medical information provided an average of 1 month after the end of radiotherapy had a better QoL 4 months later	10
Kerr [26], Germany, 2003	Prospective	980 breast cancer patients, 93.3% had an early stage (is, I, or II)	EORTC QLQ-C30; EORTC BR-23 (breast cancer specific)	Self-developed: satisfaction with hospital stay, doctor communication and aftercare	17 QoL variables were significantly worse, up to 4 years after diagnosis, for those patients reporting unclear information	11
Vogel [36] Germany, 2009	Prospective	135 breast cancer patients	EORTC QLQ-C30	Patient satisfaction with communication 25-item Likert scale; Self-developed question about level of information	Patients who rated their level of information at baseline as high experienced a higher QoL after 3 and 6 months	10
Griggs [21], USA, 2007	Cross-sectional	235 breast cancer patients	SF-36; IES	Self-developed: satisfaction with information	Strong positive relationship between satisfaction with information and vitality, mental health, and a strong negative relationship with distress	9
Mallinger [28], USA, 2005	Cross-sectional	182 breast cancer survivors	SF-36	Information needs scale for recently diagnosed breast cancer patients	Better mental health is associated with greater satisfaction with information about treatment and survivorship	10
Davies [18], UK, 2008	Cross-sectional	102 breast cancer; 112 prostate cancer patients	FACT-G	Adapted version of the Information Satisfaction Questionnaire	Information satisfaction is a predictor of global QoL and its four dimensions. Satisfaction is positively associated with QoL	9
Annunziata [13], Italy, 1998	Cross-sectional	175 patients (breast, gastrointestinal, leukaemia, genitourinary tumours, lung, other neoplasms)	Functional Living Index for Cancer; State-Trait Anxiety Inventory	Degree of information on diagnosis and status of disease	Level of information did not affect QoL, satisfaction with information was associated with better QoL	8
Bredart [17], France, 2001	Cross-sectional	97 cancer patients with different diagnoses and stages	EORTC QLQ-C30	CASC	Lower physical functioning and emotional functioning predicted higher satisfaction with doctor’s information provision	11
Elf [19], Sweden, 2001	Cross-sectional	30 cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy	EORTC QLQ-C30	Self-developed: questions on patients’ satisfaction with information; Miller Behavioral Styles Scale	No significant differences in QoL could be found between satisfied and dissatisfied patients	9
Beckjord [16], USA, 2008	Cross-sectional	1040 cancer survivors (bladder, leukaemia, colorectal, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma)	SF-36	Self-developed: information needs	More information needs were associated with worse perceived mental and physical health	8
McInnes [29], USA, 2008	Cross-sectional	778 cancer survivors of six common cancers (bladder, breast, colorectal, prostate, uterine, melanoma); 3.1% in situ, 72.6% localised, 22.8% regional, 1.5% distant	SF-36	Self-developed scales: information quality, information barriers, information needs	Worse physical and mental functioning was associated with greater need for information, worse ratings of information quality, and more barriers in obtaining information	9
Arora [14], USA, 2002	Cross-sectional	225 breast cancer patients; 80.4% had an early stage (is, I, or II)	Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT)	Barriers to information access scale	Experience of greater barriers to accessing needed health information was significantly associated with lower emotional, functional and social/family well-being	7
Snyder [34], USA, 2007	Cross-sectional	117 cancer patients (breast, lung, prostate), 35.3% had an early stage, 14.7 locoregional, 50% metastatic	EORTC QLQ-C30	Supportive Care Needs Survey	Better emotional function (not physical function) was associated with fewer unmet information needs	7
Anxiety and/or depression
Llewellyn [27], UK, 2006	Prospective	82 newly diagnosed head and neck cancer patients, 47% had an early stage (1 or 2)	HADS	SCIP	Satisfaction with information before treatment was predictive of depression 6–8 months after the end of treatment, but not of anxiety	13
Frodj [12],Sweden, 2009	Prospective	36 carcinoid tumour patients	HADS	CASC	Satisfaction with doctors’ provision of information was negatively related to anxiety and depression at T1–T3	9
Vogel [36] Germany, 2009	Prospective	135 breast cancer patients	HADS	Patient satisfaction with communication 25 item Likert scale; self-developed question about level of information	Patients who rated their level of information at baseline as high were less depressed after 3 and 6 months	10
Sainio [33], Finland, 2003	Cross-sectional	273 cancer patients (81 breast, 73 haematological, 119 other); in 35%, cancer had recurred or metastases had appeared	Depression Scale	Self-developed questionnaire containing questions about obtained information and method of providing information	Both the respondents’ physical condition (positive) and depression (negative) were associated with receiving information	9
Jones [25], UK, 1999	Cross-sectional	525 cancer patients (309 breast, 129 prostate, 22 cervical, 65 laryngeal)	HADS	One question about satisfaction with information given	Depression was a predictor of dissatisfaction with information	9
Intervention studies
Haggmark [23], Sweden, 2001	Prospective	231 cancer patients (breast, bladder, prostate)	HADS; IES; Cancer Inventory of Problem Situations (CIPS II)	Self-developed: satisfaction with information questionnaire	No relation satisfaction and anxiety and depression	10
Molenaar [30], the Netherlands, 2001	Prospective	180 breast cancer patients	MOS20; EORTC QLQ-BR23 (breast cancer specific)	Self-developed: two instruments to measure satisfaction with information (general and treatment specific)	CDROM patients were more satisfied with breast cancer-specific information. At 3 and 9 months, a positive effect was found on general health. At 9 months, CDROM patients reported better physical functioning, less pain and fewer arm symptoms	11
Ong [31], the Netherlands, 2000	Prospective	201 cancer patients (gynaecologic or internal)	MOS20; Rotterdam Symptom Checklist	Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire	Patients provided with audio tape initial consultation were more satisfied than patients without the tape. The intervention did not have an effect on QoL	10
Hack [21], Canada, 2003	Prospective	628 breast cancer patients	Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT-B); POMS	Patient Perception Scale	Audio tape of primary adjuvant treatment consultations to women with breast cancer was not significantly related to patient satisfaction with communication, mood state, or QoL at 12 weeks post-consultation and was not significantly affected by choice of receiving the audio tape	10
Hack [22], Canada, 2007	Prospective	425 prostate cancer patients; 76.2% had an early stage (I, or II), 14.6% had a high stage (III or IV)	Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT-P); POMS	Patient Perception Scale	Audio tape of primary adjuvant treatment consultations to women with breast cancer was not significantly related to patient satisfaction with communication, mood state, or QoL at 12 weeks post-consultation and was not significantly affected by choice of receiving the audio tape	11
Iconomou [24], Greece, 2005	Prospective	145 cancer patients (lung, breast, colorectal, genitourinary, other); 50% had limited disease and 50% had advanced disease	EORTC-QLQ-C30; HADS	Single question about satisfaction with information provision	Patients provided with the information booklet reported significantly higher rates of satisfaction with information than control group, felt better and more informed, and perceived information received as being clearer and detailed. No significant benefits in anxiety, depression, QoL	11
Barlesi [15], France, 2008	Prospective	75 non-small-cell lung cancer patients	Psychologic Global Well-Being Index	Questionnaire of satisfaction of hospitalised patients; self-developed: question information satisfaction	No differences in QoL between non-small-cell lung cancer patients receiving oral information only as compared with oral plus written information	10
Passalacqua [32], Italy, 2009	Prospective	3197 cancer patients	HADS	One single question about satisfaction with received information	The per protocol analysis did show a reduction in psychological distress and dissatisfaction, for the patients in the PIS group compared to the control group, but differences were not significant	9

CASC, Comprehensive Assessment of Satisfaction with Care; EORTC, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer; FACT, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy; HADS, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; HRQoL, health-related quality of life; SCIP, Satisfaction with information profile; IES, Impact of Event Scale; SF-36, Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36; MOS20, Medical Outcomes Study 20; PIS, Point of Information and Support; POMS, Profile of Mood States.