Patient satisfaction in the ambulatory oncology setting

Cancer is a leading cause of death in Australia. Its increasing incidence and prevalence predicts that by age 85 one in two Australians will face a cancer diagnosis. Improved diagnostics and treatment advances now mean that many more Australians are living with cancer and recent drug and technological advances have allowed the move from a predominantly inpatient setting to that of outpatient clinics and day centres. The study aimed to examine patient satisfaction in a single institution outpatient oncology centre with the primary aim of recording baseline data. Data collected from the study will be used to identify any areas of unmet needs and to identify areas requiring further improvement or development, as well as to evaluate future initiatives with the primary aim of building a service that is better aligned to patient needs and therefore increases patient satisfaction.