Patients with genetic cancer undergoing surveillance at a specialized clinic rate the quality of their care better than patients at non-specialized clinics

Abstract

Objectives. To compare ratings of quality of care between patients with genetic cancer who receive specialized care with patients who receive non-specialized care while controlling for socio-demographic and clinical variables; Material and methods. All patients in a national cohort of adult patients diagnosed with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) who had undergone prophylactic colorectal surgery were assessed (n = 276, response rate 76%). Quality of care was measured with the Quality of Care from the Patient Perspective (QPP). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed; Results. Patients receiving specialized care were significantly more likely to report the quality of care as better in all three QPP dimensions investigated than those receiving non-specialized care; Conclusions. In order to promote and maintain good quality of care for surgically treated patients with FAP, and to minimize the risk of cancer, specialized care, including continuity and easy access of health care professionals, should be provided.

Key Words::

• colorectal cancer
• familial adenomotous polyposis
• genetics
• patient perception
• quality of care
• specialized care

Acknowledgements

Above all, we would like to thank all the patients who generously participated in the study. This work was supported by grants from the Cancer Society in Stockholm and the Centre for Health Care Science at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.