Analysis of Oncology Patient Data – Chantal Arditi (Unisanté)
Survey on cancer patient-reported healthcare experiences in Switzerland
This “allocated fund” was granted to Chantal Arditi in July 2022 for 2 years (Unisanté).
Collecting patients’ opinions and their healthcare experiences is essential when assessing the quality of healthcare services and evaluating how well the healthcare system meets patients’ needs. This is particularly important in cancer care, as these patients have needs on multiple levels that very often are not covered by the existing healthcare system. Beyond the numerous health issues related to the disease and its treatment, cancer can indeed have significant psychosocial consequences for patients and their loved ones, including financial repercussions.
In 2018, we conducted the SCAPE-1 (Swiss Cancer Patient Experiences) study, a first survey of patients treated for one of the six most frequent cancer types in one of four hospitals in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. This survey addressed their experiences related to oncological care. In 2021, we repeated the survey. This SCAPE-2 study was extended to include patients with any type of cancer and treated in the same four French-speaking hospitals as well as in four medical centers in the German-speaking part of the country. Amongst other topics, the survey contained questions regarding emotional support, information and communication, treatment decision making, as well as inpatient and outpatient care. A section on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer care and the patients themselves was also added.
The results of this study will provide insight into the way patients experience cancer care, and will help determine whether these experiences vary from one cancer center to another and depending on the language spoken. Furthermore, this study will help guide the development and the implementation of local and national interventions aimed at improving cancer care by identifying aspects less well perceived by patients.
The SCAPE-2 study was initially financed by the Swiss Cancer Research foundation. The additional support granted by the ISREC Foundation will make it possible to perform an in-depth analysis of the data collected within the study, and to enhance the value of this information through scientific publications as well as presentations at conferences and seminars.