Adult cancer patients' barriers to and satisfaction with care at a National Cancer Hospital in Vietnam

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 19; no. 5; p. e0303157
• Main Authors: Vu, Thinh Toan, Weiss, Marina, Nguyen, Linh Thi-Hoai, Tran, Huong Thanh, Ho, Hien Thi, Ngo, Victoria Khanh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 09.05.2024; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adult; Adults; Aged; Analysis; Breast cancer; Cancer; Cancer Care Facilities; Cancer patients; Cancer therapies; Care and treatment; Chronic diseases; Communication; COVID-19; Cross-Sectional Studies; Evidence-based medicine; Female; Health aspects; Health care policy; Health Services Accessibility; Hospitals; Humans; Male; Medical diagnosis; Medical research; Medicine and Health Sciences; Medicine, Experimental; Middle Aged; Neoplasms - psychology; Neoplasms - therapy; Nurses; Pain management; Pandemics; Patient compliance; Patient satisfaction; Patient Satisfaction - statistics & numerical data; Patients; Physicians; Prevention; Quality of life; Questionnaires; Radiation therapy; Ratings; Regression analysis; Risk factors; Secondary schools; Throat cancer; Vietnam; Vietnam
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303157

This study assessed the overall satisfaction with oncological care, including barriers to care, and identified its associated predictors among adult cancer patients in Vietnam. In this cross-sectional study, we enrolled 300 adult cancer patients receiving inpatient care at a large urban oncological hospital between June and July 2022. Multivariable linear regression analyses examined associations between patient experiences and overall satisfaction ratings with cancer care. The mean overall satisfaction with oncological care was 8.82 out of 10, with 98.0% recommending this facility to their friends and family. In an adjusted model, being female (β = 0.29, 95%CI: 0.04, 0.53), endorsing satisfaction with patient-nurse communication (β = 0.33, 95%CI: 0.13, 0.53), patient-doctor communication (β = 0.40, 95%CI: 0.11, 0.70), and psychoeducation about oncological medication management (β = 0.30, 95%CI: 0.14, 0.45) were positively associated with overall ratings. In contrast, individuals with delays in treatment scheduling reported lower overall satisfaction with oncological care (β = -0.38, 95%CI: -0.64, -0.13). Patients perceived health system, social/environmental, and individual barriers to care: worries about income loss due to attending treatment (43.3%); fear, depression, anxiety, and distress (36.8%); concerns about affordability of treatment (36.7%) and transportation problems (36.7%); and excessive waiting times for appointments (28.8%). This study showed high overall patient satisfaction with cancer care quality. Patient-centered communication strategies and psychoeducation about oncological medication management may be targeted to further enhance the cancer inpatient experience. Raising awareness about treatment options and services, and integrating mental health awareness into oncological care may ameliorate patient distress and facilitate greater satisfaction with oncological treatment processes.