Association between Treatment Experiences and Health Status of Patients with Cancer: Results from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2015

Purpose: Patient outcomes should improve through patient involvement and improved interactions with healthcare providers during the care process. This study aimed to examine factors affecting the perceived health status of patients with cancer, focused on their treatment experiences, and explored the differences in treatment-related experiences according to the patients ’ characteristics. Methods: This cross-sectional study used the 2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which assesses patients ’ general characteristics, treatment-related experiences, and perceived health status. Data from 255 cancer survivors aged 19 years or older were used in this study. Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, and multiple regression were used for the data analyses. Results: Cancer patients ’ perception of a lower health resulted from the following factors: insufficient information provision during the care process ( β =-.13, p =.026), less participation in the treatment-related decision-making ( β =-.25, p =.005), and more comorbidities ( β =-.31, p =.018). A higher education level ( β =.68, p < .001) was associated with higher perceived health status. The set of significant factors explained 19% of the total variance of the perceived health status. Conclusion: Sufficient information provision during the care process and patients ’ participation in treatment-related decision-making affected the perceived health status of cancer patients. Hence, providing cancer patients with information and involving them in decision-making may improve illness self-management capabilities and health status.