The response rates to surveys among breast cancer patients using different manners of distribution: A prospective study of integrated rehabilitation.

Abstract

138 Background: Communication with breast cancer patients is crucial within individualised integrated rehabilitation, where the patients are at the centre of the provided health care services. Anonymous surveys could be used as one of the tools to check the needs of patients, the effectiveness of various aspects of the interventions offered and to obtain valuable feedback from patients. Our aim was to determine which manner of conducting anonymous surveying among breast cancer patients would be most suitable for improving the health service of individualized integrated rehabilitation. Methods: The subjects of our prospective study were 600 females (29-65 (mean 52) years of age), who participated in the pilot study on the individualized integrated rehabilitation of breast cancer patients receiving treatment at Institute of Oncology Ljubljana in 2019-2022. Questionnaires of implemented surveys were anonymous with different manners of distribution and on three different topics. The first survey was conducted via standard post sending questionnaires on papers to the patients to inquire about their satisfaction with the provided services after the conclusion of their treatment. The second survey was conceded via email, sending online questionnaires to inquire about appropriateness of interventions and patients' opinions about spa treatment. The third survey was conducted half via email and half via text message on mobile phone (SMS) to inquire about the most suitable terms of the regular physical activity during oncological treatment. The survey response rate was calculated as the number of valid surveys received (numerator) divided by the number of surveys distributed (denominator). If all questions were not answered, the survey was invalid. Results: There was a significant difference in the response rate of the patients to the anonymous surveys, depending on the manner of distribution of the survey. The response rate of patients who got questionnaires by regular mail were 51%, 28% and 13% if received by e-mail and 27% if sent via SMS. The difference in the response rate in the survey on physical activity, received by email or by SMS, was statistically significant (p= 0,0026). Conclusions: The highest response rate of breast cancer patients was received by sending the questionnaires via regular post. Clinical trial information: V3-1906. [Table: see text]