@article{4401a23456424d4ea44b92dd2add6ee0,
title = "The health care experience of patients with cancer during the last year of life: Analysis of the SEER-CAHPS data set",
abstract = "BACKGROUND: Providing high-quality medical care for individuals with cancer during their last year of life involves a range of challenges. An important component of high-quality care during this critical period is ensuring optimal patient satisfaction. The objective of the current study was to assess factors influencing health care ratings among individuals with cancer within 1 year before death. METHODS: The current study used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) data set, a new data resource linking patient-reported information from the CAHPS Medicare Survey with clinical information from the National Cancer Institute's SEER program. The study included 5102 Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with cancer who completed CAHPS between 1998 and 2011 within 1 year before their death. Multivariable logistic regression analyses examined associations between patient demographic and insurance characteristics with 9 measures of health care experience. RESULTS: Patients with higher general or mental health status were significantly more likely to indicate excellent experience with nearly all measures examined. Sex, race/ethnicity, and education also were found to be significant predictors for certain ratings. Greater time before death predicted an increased likelihood of higher ratings for health plan and specialist physician. Clinical characteristics were found to have few significant associations with experience of care. Individuals in fee-for-service Medicare plans (vs Medicare Advantage) had a greater likelihood of excellent experience with health plans, getting care quickly, and getting needed care. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with cancer within 1 year before death, experience with health plans, physicians, and medical care were found to be associated with sociodemographic, insurance, and clinical characteristics. These findings provide guidance for the development of programs to improve the experience of care among individuals with cancer. Cancer 2017;123:336–344.",
keywords = "Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), Epidemiology, Medicare, Surveillance, and End Results (SEER), cancer, patient satisfaction, surveys",
author = "Halpern, {Michael T.} and Urato, {Matthew P.} and Kent, {Erin E.}",
note = "Funding Information: Funded by a research contract from the National Cancer Institute (contract number HHSN261201000166U and HHSN261201500132U). Cancer is a leading cause of death in the United States, with 589,430 individuals projected to have died of cancer in the United States in 2015. During the last year of life, individuals with cancer may experience debilitating physical symptoms and psychological distress, and may receive a broad range of medical care services. Providing high-quality medical care for individuals with cancer during their last year of life involves multiple challenges. An important component of high-quality cancer care is ensuring optimal patient satisfaction. Satisfaction can influence a variety of behaviors and outcomes, and is related to quality of care and quality of life among individuals shortly before death. Only a few studies to date have examined satisfaction with health care among individuals with cancer in their last year of life. These studies may include mixed populations, including individuals with cancer and other serious medical conditions, and generally have samples that cannot provide detailed assessments of the factors influencing a patient's experience with health care in the last year of life. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) data set is a recently developed data resource linking patient-reported information from the CAHPS Medicare Survey with clinical information from the National Cancer Institute's SEER program. To our knowledge, this is the first data set to permit examination of clinical characteristics and experiences of care among large US populations of individuals diagnosed with cancer. The objective of the current study was to describe patient experience with physicians, health plans, and medical care and assess associations between patient characteristics and these experiences among individuals with cancer who completed the survey within 1 year before their death. The current study used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) data set, a new data resource linking patient-reported information from the CAHPS Medicare Survey with clinical information from the National Cancer Institute's SEER program. The study included 5102 Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with cancer who completed CAHPS between 1998 and 2011 within 1 year before their death. Multivariable logistic regression analyses examined associations between patient demographic and insurance characteristics with 9 measures of health care experience. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016 American Cancer Society. This article has been contributed to by US Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.",
year = "2017",
month = jan,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1002/cncr.30319",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "123",
pages = "336--344",
journal = "Cancer",
issn = "0008-543X",
publisher = "John Wiley and Sons Inc.",
number = "2",
}