High experienced continuity in breast cancer care is associated with high health related quality of life

Susann Plate, Louise Emilsson, Martin Söderberg, Yvonne Brandberg, Fredrik Wärnberg

High experienced continuity is known to be associated with lower needs for supportive care and most likely higher quality of life. On this background, the aim of this study was to investigate if patient-experienced continuity of care was associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in breast cancer patients treated at two different-sized breast cancer units. In 2016, two questionnaires, "Statements on experienced continuity of care" and "The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30)", were sent out to patients diagnosed between 2011 and 2014 at two different-sized breast cancer units in Sweden. Lead times and other data reflecting medical quality were collected from the patients' medical records and from the National Swedish Breast Cancer Quality Register. Of 356 eligible patients, 231 (65%) answered the questionnaires, of whom 218 patients were included in the analyses. A statistically significant association was found between high experienced continuity and high global HRQoL (p = 0.03). Continuity was higher at the smaller unit, while no major differences between the units were found regarding medical quality or lead times. The study found that high experienced continuity and HRQoL was strongly associated. A statistically significant higher continuity of care was found at the smaller unit, in line with what was expected. The absence of clinically relevant differences in lead times and medical quality may indicate that continuity could be achieved without loss of quality.