Experiences with Health Care and Health-Related Quality of Life of Patients with Hematological Malignancies in Mexico

Abstract

Introduction: In Mexico patients with hematologic malignancies (HMs) are characterized by high risk, advanced stages at diagnosis and a low cure rate; yet the information on their experiences with healthcare and health-related quality of life (HRQL) is scarce. We aimed to evaluate experiences with healthcare and HRQL of patients with HMs.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in two oncology hospitals in Mexico City. The study included outpatient cancer patients aged ≥ 18 years with a diagnosis of leukemia, lymphoma, or multiple myeloma. We used a patient-centered quality of cancer care questionnaire to assess experiences with care and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) to measure HRQL. We performed a multiple linear regression to evaluate the association between patient experiences and the QLQ-C30 summary score.Results: Of the 515 participating HM patients, 46.6% had lymphoma, 34% leukemia, and 19.4% multiple myeloma; 70.9% were at advanced stages or at high risk; 15.1% had anxiety and 12.8% had depression. Over one third (35.9%) received clear information, 28.5% timely care, 20.6% information for treatment decision-making, 23.7% care that addressed their biopsychological needs, and 31% respectful and coordinated care. The mean QLQ-C30 summary score was 71.9 points. Timely care, clarity of the information, and care that addresses biopsychological needs were associated with higher HRQL.Conclusions: Healthcare providers are encouraged to measure and address the experiences with healthcare of HM patients to improve the quality of patient-centered cancer care and increase the likelihood of better HRQL.