Information received and usefulness of the sources of information to cancer patients at an oncology hospital in Turkey

Abstract

Aim: Cancer treatment typically involves a combination of approaches like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Offering accurate and valuable information about cancer plays a crucial role in helping patients prepare for their treatment and improves their adherence to it. To assess the information received by cancer patients, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life (QL) Group has developed the EORTC INFO module. The objective of this study is to examine the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the EORTC QLQ-INFO25 system. Specifically, it aims to evaluate how patients perceive the benefits of the information they receive and the duration for which the information remains useful to them. Material and Methods: We administered the Turkish versions of three questionnaires to 197 patients at various stages of their illness: the EORTC QLQINFO25, the EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire -Core 30 (QLQ-C30), and the EORTC Cancer In -Patient Satisfaction with Care Questionnaire (IN-PATSAT32). These stages included chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery. To ensure the questionnaire's reliability and validity, we utilized Cronbach's alpha, inter -scale correlation, and factor analysis. Results: The validity analysis revealed that the scale had a sufficient level of explained variance, with 66.68% accounted for by the factor analysis findings. Furthermore, the reliability analysis indicated a high level of reliability for the entire questionnaire, with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.92. The selected questions from the EORTC IN-PATSAT32 and their correlation with the 4 identified areas and 2 items of the EORTC QLQ-INFO25 demonstrated strong convergent validity. On the other hand, there was a low correlation between the EORTC-QLQ-C30 questionnaire and the different areas of the EORTC QLQINFO25 questionnaire, suggesting that these two questionnaires measured distinct concepts. Discussion: The study found that the Turkish version of the EORTC QLQ-INFO25 scale is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the knowledge level of cancer patients. These findings suggest that the scale can be effectively utilized within the Turkish society to evaluate the information and understanding of cancer patients.