Qualité de vie: Attitudes et perceptions des médecins d'un réseau régional de soins en oncologie thoracique

Background: The evaluation of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of lung cancer patients is significant given their poor prognosis. Consequently, HRQOL is often currently assessed throughout clinical trials and sometimes in daily medical practice. The objective here was to determine physicians' perspectives on evaluating HRQOL. Material and methods: The team carried out a prospective study of physicians belonging to a thoracic oncology network using an original questionnaire of 33 items. Results: 102 physicians were questioned and 51 responded. Physicians' knowledge on HRQOL was frequently of a low level and incomplete, but most of them considered HRQOL as important. HRQOL assessment in daily practice was often done intuitively. Many physicians noted that they lacked adequate time to explore and integrate all of the fields which should be covered by HRQOL in their clinical practice, but they felt overall that the. HRQOL study improved doctor/patient communication and interaction. Physicians described an «ideal» HRQOL questionnaire as one containing 10-15 items within 6 domains (physical, psychological, general health, respiratory symptoms, family and social) and which could be completed in 5-8 minutes. In addition, such a questionnaire might integrate an opportunity for patients to isolate and identify items and issues that they consider to be most important to them. Conclusions: Physicians' will to consider and integrate the evaluation of HRQOL in the management of lung cancer patients is strong but meets some structural challenges (related to HRQOL assessment and interpretation of data) but also conjectural difficulties (with respect to a lack of knowledge). Training efforts are needed as well as the development of easier tools to facilitate the evaluation of HRQOL.