Table 2:

Definitions of Patient Needs and Values from the Patients and the Cancer Care Experience Survey

Construct	Definition	# of items	Item Examples	Item scale
Physical Needs	Refers to needs associated with changes in physical health, comfort, and functioning related to the cancer experience, including, but not limited to, treatment side effects, symptoms, pain, impacts on mobility, memory, cognitive function, sexual function, and the efforts to return to a normal lifestyle [3, 7, 59, 60].	5	How concerned were you about changes to your physical health in general? How concerned were you about: d. Ability to move freely	(1=Very Concerned, 5=Unconcerned)
Psychosocial Needs	Refers to needs associated with the psychological and emotional components of the cancer care experience [61–64].	6	How concerned were you about the following issues related to emotional health: b. Anxiety c. Depression	(1=Very Concerned, 5=Unconcerned)
Value for Non-Provider Social Support	Refers to the support received by individuals in the context of their cancer care and to cancer’s impact on previously existing social interactions, roles, and relationships with family, friends, and peers [65].	6	How important was your family’s involvement in your treatment (e.g., the acceptance of family members at appointments, having them included in your care)?	(1=Very Important, 5=Unimportant)
Value for Provider Social Support	Encompasses the importance patients placed on different forms of assistance from providers during the patients’ cancer care experiences [48, 64, 66, 67].	4	How important was it for you to have social support from other current or previous patients?	(1=Very Important, 5=Unimportant)
Decision Making Involvement Values	Refers to the importance patients placed on different aspects of providers’ assistance as it related to treatment-related decision-making [68–70].	4	How important was the health care team’s recommendation in making treatment decisions?	(1=Very Important, 5=Unimportant)
Health Information Values	Refers to the sources and content of health information patients sought and received. Health information included information about patients’ diagnoses, treatment options and other cancer care components, preparation for treatment, side effects, complications, and expectations [66, 67, 71–73].	4	How important was understanding your treatment plan? How important was receiving an explanation of the available options in making treatment decisions?	(1=Very Important, 5=Unimportant)
General QOL Values	Values related to individuals’ positive and negative subjective evaluations of life experiences [66, 74–78].	5	How important was quality of life in making treatment decisions (e.g., ability to participate in daily activities, returning to work)? Other patients have stated that their cancer experience can make them feel “not like a normal person”. How important was it for your health care team to address or understand your need to have a sense of normalcy?	(1=Very Important, 5=Unimportant)
Family-related QOL Values	Values related to individuals’ positive and negative subjective evaluations of family-related experiences [75, 76].	3	How concerned were you about possible changes in your ability to manage family responsibilities? How concerned were you about being a burden on family?	(1=Very Concerned, 5=Unconcerned)

Note: A 5-point Likert scale was used for all of the survey items above.