Understanding patients: let's talk about it. A study of cancer communication.

As part of a project on quality of life in patients with lung cancer, an investigation was carried out to examine how patients reacted to the study. A group of 82 patients attending a chest clinic were interviewed by means of a short questionnaire. They were asked to indicate whether an interview was preferable to filling in a questionnaire and whether a home visit was preferable to a clinic interview, and their feelings about interviews. In addition, we documented our observations during the study period. All patients agreed to participate in the study, of whom, 56 patients (68%) preferred to be interviewed, 8 (10%) preferred to fill in a questionnaire by themselves, and the remaining 18 (22%) expressed no preference. Forty-one patients (50%) preferred to be interviewed at their homes, 13 (16%) in the clinic, and 28 (34%) expressed no preference. Nearly all patients (96%) indicated that they found being interviewed very or quite comfortable. Our observations indicated that patients were pleased to talk about and discuss their perceived cultural and social values or daily life experiences. The findings suggest that, despite the strenuous attempts by clinicians to deliver effective health care, proper communication with patients remains limited. The finding has some implications for community care.