Patients' experiences with cancer care in Switzerland: Results of a multicentre cross-sectional survey

Objectives The objectives were to describe patients' experiences of cancer care in Switzerland and explore the variation of these experiences by type of cancer. Methods The Swiss Cancer Patient Experiences (SCAPE) study was a cross-sectional, multicentre survey conducted in 2018. Adult patients (n = 7145) with breast, prostate, lung, colorectal, skin or haematological cancer from four large hospitals in French-speaking Switzerland were invited to complete a survey. Logistic regressions were used to assess whether experiences varied according to cancer type, adjusting for confounders. Results Of the 3121 persons who returned the survey (44% response rate), 2755 reporting an eligible cancer were included in the analyses. Participants' average score for overall care was 8.5 out of a maximum score of 10. Higher rates of positive experiences were found for nurse consultations (94%), diagnostic tests (85%) and inpatient care (82%). Lower positive responses were reported for support for people with cancer (70%), treatment decisions (66%), diagnosis (65%) and home care (55%). We observed non-systematic differences in experiences of care by cancer type. Conclusions This large study identified that cancer patient experiences can be improved in relation to communication, information and supportive care aspects. Improvement efforts should target these areas of care to enhance responsiveness of cancer care.

Automated summary

The study found that there is room for improvement in the cancer care experiences of patients in Switzerland, particularly in the areas of communication, information provision, and supportive care. The experiences varied by type of cancer, suggesting the need for targeted improvements in specific areas of care.