Collecting patients’ perspective and experiences with care is essential when evaluating the quality and safety of health services and when assessing how well the health system is responding to patients’ needs (patient-centered care). This is especially important in cancer care, as cancer has a particular emotional, social and financial burden on patients in addition to the health burden.
After conducting in 2018 the first Swiss Cancer Patient Experiences (SCAPE)-1 survey asking patients treated for cancer in four French-speaking hospitals about their experiences with cancer care, we conducted the SCAPE-2 study in 2021, including patients from both French- and German-speaking parts of Switzerland.
First, we revised and improved the French questionnaire during a one-day workshop with patients and healthcare professionals, and had it professionally translated into German.
Second, we sent the questionnaire to over 6000 patients from eight cancer centers across the country in September 2021. The survey included questions about emotional support, information and communication aspects, decision-making around the cancer treatment, and inpatient and outpatient care at the hospital.
For the first time in Switzerland, the results of the study provided an overview of how patients experienced cancer care across the country and whether these experiences varied by language and cancer center. The results also helped guide the development and implementation of local and national interventions to improve cancer care, by identifying aspects of cancer care that were less positively evaluated by patients.
Communiqué de presse du 27.03.2023: Évaluation de la qualité des soins en Suisse: une enquête nationale donne la parole aux personnes malades du cancer
Émission RTS - CQFD du 28.03.2023: La prise en charge des patients atteints de cancer en Suisse
