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Measuring patient satisfaction in oncology palliative care: psychometric properties of the FAMCARE-patient scale

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Abstract

Purpose

We provide preliminary psychometric results concerning the use of a modified FAMCARE scale, adapted for patient use, to assess satisfaction with outpatient care in advanced stage cancer patients.

Methods

Participants were 145 outpatients with advanced cancer who were participating in a phase II trial of an outpatient palliative care intervention. Patients completed our modified FAMCARE measure of patient satisfaction and the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale, a measure of symptom burden. Individuals were also assessed for performance status using the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group scale. We conducted an exploratory factor analysis of the patient satisfaction measure and performed correlations of satisfaction with symptom burden as well as with performance status.

Results

Factor analysis of the satisfaction measure revealed a one-factor structure and suggested the removal of one nonloading item, producing a 16-item scale (FAMCARE-P16) with high internal reliability. Patient satisfaction was not correlated with performance status, but was inversely associated with symptom burden, particularly with depression and anxiety.

Conclusions

The FAMCARE-P16 may be used to assess satisfaction with outpatient palliative care interventions of patients with advanced stage cancer in both clinical settings and prospective trials.

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Abbreviations

FAMCARE-P:

FAMCARE-patient version

OPCC:

Oncology palliative care clinic

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to all the patients who participated in this study and the clinical and research staff of the Oncology Palliative Care Clinic. This study was supported, in part, by a grant from the National Cancer Institute of Canada, with funds from the Canadian Cancer Society (NCIC #017257; CZ) and by the Edith Kirchmann Fellowship in Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care at Princess Margaret Hospital (CL).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Princess Margaret Hospital, University Health Network, 610 University Ave., Toronto, ON, M5G 2M9, Canada

    Christopher Lo, Debika Burman, Gary Rodin & Camilla Zimmermann

  2. Ontario Cancer Institute, Princess Margaret Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Christopher Lo, Debika Burman, Gary Rodin & Camilla Zimmermann

  3. Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Gary Rodin

  4. Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Camilla Zimmermann

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  1. Christopher Lo
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  2. Debika Burman
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  3. Gary Rodin
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  4. Camilla Zimmermann
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Correspondence to Camilla Zimmermann.

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Lo, C., Burman, D., Rodin, G. et al. Measuring patient satisfaction in oncology palliative care: psychometric properties of the FAMCARE-patient scale. Qual Life Res 18, 747–752 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-009-9494-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-009-9494-y

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