Health-Related Quality of Life and Treatment Satisfaction of Patients with Blood Cancer in Kazakhstan: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Blood cancer is the most prevalent health problem associated with poorer health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Associations between HRQoL and its determinants including physical, emotional, and functional domains are insufficiently investigated among blood cancer patients of Kazakhstan. We aimed to assess HRQoL and treatment satisfaction of blood cancer patients in Kazakhstan. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study, conducted from November 2022 to December 2022, which enrolled all adult blood cancer patients registered at the healthcare facilities of Semey. This study involved 87 respondents. A questionnaire of the authors' design and the SF-36 questionnaire were used to obtain the data, which was validated. Results: Out of 87 patients, 47 (54,0%) were males whose mean age was 35,72 ± 1,64 years and 40 (46,0%) were females with the mean age of 45,83 ± 1,57 years. None of the patients were very satisfied with their current clinical management and status monitoring and the overall rate of patient dissatisfied or somewhat dissatisfied was 48.9%. The two questions of "How long have you been seen by a hematologist?" (p=0,019) and "How do you evaluate the organization of medical care in the field of hematology?" (p=0,000) were predictors of patient satisfaction in multiple linear regression analysis. There was a significant difference in the individual SF-36 dimensions and overall QOL scored in different age group participants. Conclusions: Overall, the study found that the five determinates affect QOL revealed significant differences between individual age groups and identified key determinants of patient dissatisfaction. Also, it is the first attempt to understand the experience of blood cancer patients in the healthcare system in Kazakhstan, and the results may contribute to a discussion between healthcare professionals and patients on initiatives that need to be taken to improve the quality of healthcare services provided.