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Predictors and outcomes of feeling of insufficient consultation time in cancer care in Korea: results of a nationwide multicenter survey

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Abstract

Background

Shared decision making and an integrative approach is expected to result in better outcomes, but might require more time. While ensuring that sufficient consultation time is essential to quality cancer care, it is not clear whether cancer patients feel that the amount of consultation time with their oncologists is sufficient.

Methods

Data were collected from 2,556 cancer patients on their perceived and preferred consultation time, and included potential predictors, such as socio-demographics, clinical, behavioral, and quality-of-life factors, as well as potential outcomes, including unmet patient needs, trust in doctor, and satisfaction. The feeling of insufficient consultation time was defined as the perception that consultation time is less than the preferred consultation time; multivariate analyses were used for identification of predictors and comparison of outcomes.

Results

Overall, 37.1% felt that consultation time was less than preferred. Younger age, female sex, higher education level, having national health insurance, having been diagnosed with less common cancers, and having anxiety/depression were significantly associated with feelings of insufficient consultation time. Subjects with a feeling of insufficient consultation time reported higher current needs for information, physical symptoms, and psychological problems. They also reported less trust in their physician, lower overall satisfaction, and lower intention to continue treatment at the current cancer center.

Conclusion

This study illustrated that high-quality cancer care, characterized by shared decision making and an integrative approach, seems to be related to sufficient consultation time that meets the individual’s subjective needs, and measures should be taken to ensure sufficient consultation time.

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Acknowledgments

This study has been supported by a grant from the National Cancer Center (Grant number; 0710170, 0910191), Republic of Korea. The authors would also like to thank the reviewers of this paper for their valid suggestions, which contributed to the improvement of the paper.

Financial disclosure/conflicts of interest

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Medicine & Health Promotion Center, Seoul National University Hospital Cancer Survivorship Clinic, Seoul National University Cancer Hospital, Seoul, South Korea

    Dong Wook Shin

  2. Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 300 Cheoncheon-dong, Jangan-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, 440-746, South Korea

    Jae-Hyun Park

  3. Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Daegu, Gyeongbuk, South Korea

    Eun-Jung Shim

  4. Department of Health Administration and Management, College of Medical Science, Soonchunhyang University, Asan, South Korea

    Myung-Il Hahm

  5. National Cancer Control Institute, National Cancer Center, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

    Jong-Hyock Park

  6. Department of Preventive Medicine & Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea

    Eun-Cheol Park

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  1. Dong Wook Shin
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  2. Jae-Hyun Park
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  3. Eun-Jung Shim
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  4. Myung-Il Hahm
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jae-Hyun Park.

Additional information

This research was supported by a grant from the National Cancer Center of Korea.

Appendices

Appendix 1

Table 4 Assessment of patients’ unmet need by three selected domains of comprehensive need assessment tools (CNAT)
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Appendix 2

Table 5 Assessment of “Trust in doctor”
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Shin, D.W., Park, JH., Shim, EJ. et al. Predictors and outcomes of feeling of insufficient consultation time in cancer care in Korea: results of a nationwide multicenter survey. Support Care Cancer 20, 1965–1973 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-011-1299-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-011-1299-1

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