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

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The physician-patient relationship and quality of life: Lessons from chronic

lymphocytic leukemia.

Tait D Shanafelt, Deborah A Bowen, Venkat, L Slager, Clive S Zent,

Neil E Kay, Reinalda, Han Tun, Jeff A Sloan, and G Call

Leuk Res, July 23, 2008; .

Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905,

United States.

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.

PMID: 18656259