Introduction:
After the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic that led to cancellations or postponements of cancer care services in the spring 2020, cancer services resumed in an ongoing pandemic context, with care provided between and during subsequent waves. The objective of our study was to assess perspectives and experiences of cancer care over the last two years reported by patients themselves, collected through a large patient survey in Switzerland.
Methods:
The Swiss Cancer Patient Experiences-2 (SCAPE-2) was a cross-sectional multicenter survey conducted between September 2021 and January 2022 among cancer patients from eight hospitals in the French- and German-speaking regions of Switzerland. Experiences of care were collected with a self-administered questionnaire, which included several questions on the impact of the pandemic on cancer care (disruptions, telehealth, hospital protection measures) and cancer patients (emotional and practical support, distress and worries). Descriptive statistics were conducted on the preliminary data.
Preliminary results:
Of the 6873 adult patients invited, 3172 patients completed the questionnaire by January 20, 2022 (47% response rate). Preliminary results show that 10% of respondents reported disruptions of care since the beginning of the pandemic, perceived as impacting negatively their care for 15% and their emotional well-being for 38%. Most respondents (83%) felt safe from risk of infection by SARS-Cov-2 during ambulatory consultations at the hospital and 90% had the impression that cancer care remained the same as before the pandemic. Most patients felt supported by their family members and oncologist and had access to emotional and practical support. Respondents worried most about the progression of cancer, followed by worries about family members being infected by the coronavirus and then about themselves being infected.
Conclusion:
These results provide useful information on reports from patients on the impact of the ongoing pandemic on them and cancer care in different regions of Switzerland. They can guide initiatives to improve preparedness and responsiveness of cancer care in times of crisis.