BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To determine the maximum time cancer patients were willing to wait for radiotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Using a trade-off technique (TOT) the maximum time patients were prepared to wait for treatment at the centre closest to home before electing to transfer their care to a centre located (1) at a distance necessitating an extra 30 min travelling each day (MWT 1) or (2) at a distance necessitating staying away from home for the duration of therapy (MWT 2) was determined. A TOT was utilised to determine the loss in treatment effectiveness (LIE 1, LIE 2) patients were willing to accept as a consequence of their MWT 1 and MWT 2 choices. RESULTS: The median MWT 1 was 4 weeks while the median MWT 2 was 8 weeks. A longer MWT 1 was associated with increasing patient age and a problem with travelling an extra 30 min. Symptomatic patients were less likely to accept a longer MWT 1. The MWT 2 increased as the expected duration of treatment increased but patients in regional areas were less likely to accept a longer MWT 2. The majority of patients indicated that they were unwilling to accept any loss in treatment effectiveness. Patients who had a problem with travelling an extra 30 min daily or who were unable to drive were willing to accept a loss in treatment effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides an estimate of the waiting times cancer patients are prepared to accept for radiation therapy and suggests that cancer patients are unlikely to trade-off effectiveness for convenience.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To determine the maximum time cancerpatients were willing to wait for radiotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Using a trade-off technique (TOT) the maximum time patients were prepared to wait for treatment at the centre closest to home before electing to transfer their care to a centre located (1) at a distance necessitating an extra 30 min travelling each day (MWT 1) or (2) at a distance necessitating staying away from home for the duration of therapy (MWT 2) was determined. A TOT was utilised to determine the loss in treatment effectiveness (LIE 1, LIE 2) patients were willing to accept as a consequence of their MWT 1 and MWT 2 choices. RESULTS: The median MWT 1 was 4 weeks while the median MWT 2 was 8 weeks. A longer MWT 1 was associated with increasing patient age and a problem with travelling an extra 30 min. Symptomatic patients were less likely to accept a longer MWT 1. The MWT 2 increased as the expected duration of treatment increased but patients in regional areas were less likely to accept a longer MWT 2. The majority of patients indicated that they were unwilling to accept any loss in treatment effectiveness. Patients who had a problem with travelling an extra 30 min daily or who were unable to drive were willing to accept a loss in treatment effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides an estimate of the waiting times cancerpatients are prepared to accept for radiation therapy and suggests that cancerpatients are unlikely to trade-off effectiveness for convenience.
Authors: C Danjoux; E Chow; A Drossos; L Holden; C Hayter; M Tsao; T Barnes; E Sinclair; M Farhadian Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2005-04-23 Impact factor: 3.603
Authors: Eric de Sa; Emily Sinclair; Gunita Mitera; Jennifer Wong; Cyril Danjoux; Amanda Hird; Stephanie Hadi; Elizabeth Barnes; May Tsao; Edward Chow Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2009-01-30 Impact factor: 3.603