Patient competence in the context of cancer: its dimensions and their relationships with coping, coping self-efficacy, fear of progression, and depression

Abstract: Purpose
Influenced in part by research on coping, patient empowerment and self-efficacy, and by patient self-help initiatives, the construct of patient competencies (PC) has been elaborated and later integrated into Germany’s National Cancer Plan. As a self-report measure of PC, the Patient Competence Questionnaire 57 (PCQ-57) has only rarely been evaluated psychometrically. Therefore, we aimed to re-examine its dimensionality and its relationships with related constructs and potential psychosocial cancer outcomes.

Methods
We surveyed 424 breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer patients from clinics for oncological rehabilitation and private oncology practices who completed the PCQ-57 and self-report measures of coping, coping self-efficacy, fear of progression, and depression. Patients’ PCQ-57 responses were submitted to principal axis factor analyses. Using the original scoring keys, we computed internal consistencies (Cronbach’s α) and Pearson correlations between all measures.

Results
Factor analyses suggested 5 of the 8 original PCQ-57 dimensions to replicate satisfactorily, their internal consistencies ranging from 0.74 to 0.88. The competency of managing distress correlated significantly, highly, and negatively with fear of progression and depression (|r’s| ≥ 0.43) and positively with coping self-efficacy (r = 0.58).

Conclusion
The results support the reliability and validity of 5 of the 8 original PCQ-57 scales while suggesting refinement of the others. The replicated scales may help identify patients in need of support for dealing with the multiple tasks of adjusting to cancer. Further research should clarify the conceptual and empirical relationships between PC, health literacy, and patient activation as well as potential effects of PC on psychosocial cancer outcomes

Standort
Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
Umfang
Online-Ressource
Sprache
Englisch
Anmerkungen
Supportive care in cancer. - 29, 4 (2021) , 2133-2143, ISSN: 1433-7339

Schlagwort
Patient
Kompetenz
Krebs

Ereignis
Veröffentlichung
(wo)
Freiburg
(wer)
Universität
(wann)
2020
Urheber

DOI
10.1007/s00520-020-05699-0
URN
urn:nbn:de:bsz:25-freidok-1694501
Rechteinformation
Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
Letzte Aktualisierung
25.03.2025, 13:49 MEZ

Datenpartner

Dieses Objekt wird bereitgestellt von:
Deutsche Nationalbibliothek. Bei Fragen zum Objekt wenden Sie sich bitte an den Datenpartner.

Beteiligte

Entstanden

  • 2020

Ähnliche Objekte (12)