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. 2021 Nov;30(6):e13490.
doi: 10.1111/ecc.13490. Epub 2021 Jul 26.

Being assigned a clinical nurse specialist is associated with better experiences of cancer care: English population-based study using the linked National Cancer Patient Experience Survey and Cancer Registration Dataset

Saleh A Alessy  1   2   3 , Margreet Lüchtenborg  1   2 , Janette Rawlinson  4 , Matthew Baker  5 , Elizabeth A Davies  1
Affiliations

Being assigned a clinical nurse specialist is associated with better experiences of cancer care: English population-based study using the linked National Cancer Patient Experience Survey and Cancer Registration Dataset

Saleh A Alessy et al. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 2021 Nov.

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to examine whether being given the name of a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) is associated with better cancer patients' experiences across different points along their cancer care pathway.

Methods: We identified 100,885 colorectal, lung, breast and prostate cancer patients who responded to the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey between 2010 and 2014. We compared experiences of four key aspects of cancer care among patients who reported being given a CNS name with those who did not, adjusting for age, sex, socio-economic deprivation, ethnicity, route to diagnosis and disease stage.

Results: Across all cancers, patients who reported being given the name of a CNS reported better experiences with involvement in treatment decisions, care coordination, treatment with more respect and dignity, and overall care experience. Experience of being involved in treatment decisions was the aspect of care most strongly associated with being given a CNS name (colorectal: OR 2.69, 95% CI: 2.45-2.96; lung: OR 2.41, 95% CI: 2.07-2.78; breast: OR 2.68, 95% CI: 2.47-2.92; and prostate: OR 2.11, 95% CI: 1.92-2.32).

Conclusion: These findings may provide new evidence of the vital contribution CNS make to cancer care and suggest their input and support should be available to all patients after the diagnosis.

Keywords: cancer; clinical nurse specialist; patient experience; survey.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form at http://www.icmje.org/coi_disclosure.pdf and declare no support from any organisation for the submitted work, no financial relationships with any organisations that might have an interest in the submitted work in the previous 3 years, and no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Study participant flow chart
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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