Plate Susann, Emilsson Louise, Söderberg Martin, Brandberg Yvonne, Wärnberg Fredrik
Department of Surgery, Arvika Hospital, kirurgiska kliniken, Arvika sjukhus, S-670 80, Arvika, Sweden.
Primary care research unit, Landstinget Värmland, Sweden.
BMC Health Serv Res. 2018 Feb 20;18(1):127. doi: 10.1186/s12913-018-2925-0.
High experienced continuity is known to be associated with lower needs for supportive care and most likely higher quality of life. On this background, the aim of this study was to investigate if patient-experienced continuity of care was associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in breast cancer patients treated at two different-sized breast cancer units.
In 2016, two questionnaires, "Statements on experienced continuity of care" and "The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30)", were sent out to patients diagnosed between 2011 and 2014 at two different-sized breast cancer units in Sweden. Lead times and other data reflecting medical quality were collected from the patients' medical records and from the National Swedish Breast Cancer Quality Register.
Of 356 eligible patients, 231 (65%) answered the questionnaires, of whom 218 patients were included in the analyses. A statistically significant association was found between high experienced continuity and high global HRQoL (p = 0.03). Continuity was higher at the smaller unit, while no major differences between the units were found regarding medical quality or lead times.
The study found that high experienced continuity and HRQoL was strongly associated. A statistically significant higher continuity of care was found at the smaller unit, in line with what was expected. The absence of clinically relevant differences in lead times and medical quality may indicate that continuity could be achieved without loss of quality.
众所周知，高体验连续性与较低的支持性护理需求相关，并且很可能具有更高的生活质量。在此背景下，本研究的目的是调查在两个不同规模的乳腺癌治疗单位接受治疗的乳腺癌患者中，患者体验到的护理连续性是否与健康相关生活质量（HRQoL）相关。
2016年，向2011年至2014年间在瑞典两个不同规模的乳腺癌治疗单位被诊断出的患者发放了两份问卷，即“护理体验连续性声明”和“欧洲癌症研究与治疗组织生活质量问卷核心30（EORTC QLQ-C30）”。从患者的病历和瑞典国家乳腺癌质量登记处收集了前置时间和其他反映医疗质量的数据。
在356名符合条件的患者中，231名（65%）回答了问卷，其中218名患者被纳入分析。发现高体验连续性与高总体HRQoL之间存在统计学上的显著关联（p = 0.03）。较小单位的连续性更高，而在医疗质量或前置时间方面，两个单位之间未发现重大差异。
该研究发现高体验连续性与HRQoL密切相关。在较小单位发现护理连续性在统计学上显著更高，这与预期一致。前置时间和医疗质量方面不存在临床相关差异可能表明在不降低质量的情况下可以实现连续性。
