Assessment of satisfaction with the communication process during consultation of cancer patients with potentially curable disease, cancer patients on palliative care, and HIV-positive patients.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the attitudes of cancer patients towards the medical interview and to determine their psychosocial satisfaction subsequent to the dialogue. The answers given by patients with curable cancer were compared to those given by cancer patients whose treatment intent was palliative and to the replies of patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a nonmalignant but also incurable state. The subject population comprised a total of 139 patients. Patients had to complete a questionnaire with a total of 34 items. The answers to the questions were rated on a 5-point scale with response options ranging from 1 to 5 or consisting of true-false statements. Cancer patients, palliative and curative, and HIV-positive patients considered their physicians to be honest (x = 4.34, x = 4.58, and x = 4.30, respectively; p = 0.104), and they emphasized that he/she took enough time answering their questions (x = 4.00, x = 4.30 and x = 4391, respectively; p = 0.12). Cancer patients treated with potentially curable disease were more frequently afraid of being informed about additional diagnostic examinations and about the disclosure of results as compared to cancer patients on palliative care (p < 0.05 for both questions). Patients with HIV-infection considered themselves less informed about the treatment they received as compared to curative cancer patients (x = 3.73 and x = 4.28, respectively; p < 0.046). Only 8.0% of the tumor patients on palliative care, but 63.6% of the HIV-positive patients realized that their medication was given with the objective to relieve symptoms (p < 0.001). When asked about additional goals of treatment, 48% of the palliative cancer patients and 15.1% of the HIV-positive patients checked "cure" (p < 0.002). In conclusion, particularly patients with curable cancer were afraid of information they might receive during the medical interview. Cancer patients considered themselves better informed compared to patients with HIV-infection. This is in significant contrast with the actual, measurable knowledge about their disease in the latter group. It is indeed surprising that only a small minority of incurable cancer patients realized that the goal of the medical care they received was relief of symptoms, the principle objective of palliation.