Impact of communication between cancer patients and health professionals. EORTC QLQ-COMU26: more than a questionnaire.

Abstract

Doctor patient communication in oncology is known as a dialogue between the patient and the doctor, where information is transmitted satisfactorily, and the interlocutors are confident to give their points of view, questions, or concerns; which can contribute significantly to improving evolution in the results of the pathology, to having greater satisfaction and more possibilities of adherence to treatment. The questionnaire of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer: QLQ-COMU26 evaluates different dimensions of communication between oncologic patients and health professionals, made up of 26 questions in 6 general scales and 4 individual question to know and analyze the impact of communication between cancer patients and their health professionals. It is an exploratory descriptive quantitative observational research made up of 56 patients diagnosed with cancer who attend oncological treatment. After analysis, the scales with better results where “Ability of the specialist to build relationships” (94.20) and the “Degree of satisfaction with the communication between the doctor and the patient” (94.64). The question with the lowest result was “Patient preferences when receiving information” (89.73). Therefore, we can conclude that there is a need to investigate communication between patients and professionals, looking forward to improvement in health care attention. In this type of research, where is evident that the impact of assertive communication between cancer patient and medical doctors is real, tangible and significant on health it means that proper communication in oncology must be a priority, along with the great health and sustainable development challenges of global agendas.