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. 2009 Feb;33(2):263-70.
doi: 10.1016/j.leukres.2008.06.019. Epub 2008 Jul 25.

The physician-patient relationship and quality of life: lessons from chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Tait D Shanafelt  1 , Deborah A Bowen, Chaya Venkat, Susan L Slager, Clive S Zent, Neil E Kay, Megan Reinalda, Han Tun, Jeff A Sloan, Timothy G Call
Affiliations

The physician-patient relationship and quality of life: lessons from chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Tait D Shanafelt et al. Leuk Res. 2009 Feb.

Abstract

We evaluated patients' satisfaction with the physician caring for them as part of an international web-based survey of quality of life (QOL) in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL; n=1482). Over half (55.9%) of patients thought about their diagnosis daily. Although >90% felt their doctor understood how their disease was progressing (i.e., stage, blood counts, nodes), <70% felt their physician understood how CLL affected their QOL (anxiety, worry, fatigue). Reported satisfaction with their physician in a variety of areas strongly related to patients' measured emotional and overall QOL (all p<0.001). Physician use of specific euphemistic phrases to characterize CLL (e.g., "CLL is the 'good' leukemia") was also associated with lower emotional QOL among patients (p<0.001). These effects on QOL remained (p<0.001) after adjustment for age, co-morbid health conditions, fatigue, and treatment status. The effectiveness with which physicians help patients adjust to the physical, intellectual, and emotional challenges of CLL appears to impact patient QOL.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Proportion of Patients Who Think About Their CLL Diagnosis Daily
Y axis indicates the percent of patients who think about their CLL diagnosis daily based on time since diagnosis (x axis; n=1,482).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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