Adolescent cancer patients' perceived quality of cancer care: The roles of patient engagement and supporting independence.
Elizabeth J Siembida, Nina S Kadan-Lottick, Kerry Moss and 1 others
PMID 29661702WHAT IT FOUND
Patient engagement was not linked to adolescent cancer patients' perceived quality of care.
Provider support of independence was linked to higher perceived quality. Ask adolescents how involved they want to be.
Key findings
01Patient engagement was not significantly associated with perceived quality of care in the adjusted or final regression models.
02Provider support of independence was significantly associated with higher perceived quality of care in the final model.
03Participants reported high perceived quality of care and moderate to high patient engagement.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study measured associations at one time point, so it cannot show that provider support of independence caused higher perceived quality of care, or whether the relationship runs the other way. Adolescents completed the survey in the clinic where they received care, and their parents were often present or could help, which may have made responses more positive. The study was done in U.S. pediatric oncology clinics, and the authors note adolescent definitions and relationship expectations may differ by country or culture. Several measures were modified or not developed specifically for adolescent cancer patients, and some showed ceiling effects or items participants said did not apply.
Declared interests
The authors confirm that there is no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that provider support of independence improves quality of care. The study was cross-sectional and measured associations, so it cannot show that independence support caused higher perceived quality.