Quality of Life in Cancer Patients: Who Rates It Best?
Author Information
Author(s): Sneeuw K C A, Aaronson N K, Sprangers M A G, Detmar S B, Wever L D V, Schornagel J H
Primary Institution: Netherlands Cancer Institute/Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital
Hypothesis
Can caregiver ratings of cancer patients' quality of life provide useful information for patient care and clinical studies?
Conclusion
Caregiver ratings of cancer patients' quality of life are generally similar to patients' own assessments, indicating they can be reliable sources of information.
Supporting Evidence
- Mean scores of proxy raters were generally similar to those of the patients.
- 41% of comparisons showed exact agreement between patient and proxy ratings.
- 43% agreed within one response category, indicating moderate agreement.
- Disagreement was influenced by the quality of life dimension and patient clinical status.
Takeaway
This study found that family members and doctors often agree with cancer patients about how they feel, which helps in understanding their quality of life.
Methodology
The study compared quality of life ratings from cancer patients and their caregivers using a standardized assessment tool during chemotherapy appointments.
Potential Biases
Disagreement was not dependent on the type of proxy rater or their background characteristics.
Limitations
Disagreement in ratings was influenced by the quality of life dimension and the clinical status of the patient.
Participant Demographics
Cancer patients receiving inpatient chemotherapy, with ratings also provided by significant others, physicians, and nurses.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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