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Comparison of chemotherapy education and patient preferences in community versus academic gynecology oncology clinics^a

Division of Pharmacy, The University of Texas, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA

Jennifer M Saucier, BS MBA

Department of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Texas, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA

Charlotte C Sun, PhD MPh

Department of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Texas, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA

Michael W Bevers, MD

Department of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Texas, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA

Lois M Ramondetta, MD

Department of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Texas, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA

Jubilee Brown, MD

Department of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Texas, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA

Judith A Smith, FCCP BCOP

Division of Pharmacy, The University of Texas, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA, Department of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Texas, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston Medical School, Houston, TX, USA, jasmith{at}mdanderson.org

Purpose. To evaluate and compare patients' preferences in receiving chemotherapy education from health care teams in community versus academic clinics.

Methods. Results from a 13-question questionnaire about the chemotherapy education preferences of patients in three community gynecology oncology clinics were compared to the results from a similar study previously conducted in an academic gynecology oncology clinic.

Results. A total of 57% of the 203 communityclinic respondents (116) and 67% of the 282 academic-institution respondents (189) who completed questionnaires had previously received chemotherapy. Of the patients treated in community clinics, almost 60% preferred chemotherapy education to be provided in written form and directly by a health care professional compared to 87% of the patients in academic clinics. Overall, 88% of the patients in the community clinics believed they received adequate information, compared to 63% of the patients in the academic setting. Patients in the community clinics wanted to get more in-depth answers to questions such as `What is chemotherapy?' (54%) and `How it is given?' (55%). In addition, community patients also wanted to know more about `Why chemotherapy stops working?' (72%) and `What to do and who to call about side effects?' (60%). In the academic setting, patients were less likely to want to know more about these chemotherapy related questions (42, 35, 57, and 49, respectively).

Conclusions. Patients preferred to receive written chemotherapy education that was reviewed with a healthcare professional and that gave more detailed information about the chemotherapeutic drugs themselves and how to prevent and manage side effects. As a result of this questionnaire, the patient education materials used at our institution will be revised to better address patients' preferences in both treatment settings. J Oncol Pharm Practice (2008) 14: 31—36.

Key Words: chemotherapy • patient • education • preferences

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