Relationships between physicians' communication skills, the psychological symptoms of cancer patients, and their satisfaction with the treatment

Abstract

Background: The communication skills of treating physicians can affect the psychological burden of cancer patients and the prevalence of mental illness among these patients. This study investigated the communication skills of physicians and their relationship to the psychological symptoms of cancer patients and their satisfaction with the treatment they received. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out in 2019. A total of 160 cancer patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria and referred to Omid Hospital in Isfahan, Iran, and the Iranian Cancer Control Center (MACSA) took part in the study. Demographic information, including age, sex, marital status, education, and type and stage of the disease, was collected using the Demographic Information Questionnaire. The patients' psychological states and satisfaction were then measured using the Patient's Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS), the Short Assessment of Patient Satisfaction (SAPS), and the Communication Assessment Tool (CAT). Correlation coefficients and multiple linear regression were performed using the SPSS software to analyze data. Results: There was a significant direct relationship between the two quantitative variables of CAT and SAPS scores (r = 0.752; P < 0.001). There was also a significant relationship between the depression (r = -0.318; P < 0.001) and stress (r = -0.303; P < 0.001) scores and the CAT score. The mean SAPS score in patients undergoing radiotherapy was significantly lower than in the stages of chemotherapy (beta (SE) = -3.14 (1.05); P = 0.003). Conclusion: It was found that physicians' communication skills play an essential role in patients' satisfaction and are directly correlated. We also showed that the physician communication skills score was inversely related to patients' depression. © 2024, Vesnu Publications. All rights reserved.