Patient Expectations, Satisfaction, and Provider Communication Within the Oncology Experience

While the cancer experience has been studied extensively by scholars, one aspect that is lacking in the literature is examining the effect of informational expectations on overall patient satisfaction. Patient informational expectations may impact how patients view their providers, and ultimately their overall treatment experience. To understand informational communication violations between patients and healthcare providers, the author used expectancy violations theory (Burgoon, 1993) to frame a mixed-methods online survey (N = 23). Results indicated that overall satisfaction with treatment is highly correlated with communication satisfaction. Information-sharing is a crucial aspect of overall patient satisfaction as well, however, patients want providers to share more information about treatment details rather than side effect information. Patients experience violations when providers lack adequate communication strategies. These violations can either cause the patients to seek out information by themselves, or they may blame themselves for the miscommunication. Based on the results of this study, practical applications for patients and providers are suggested, such as new communication strategies for providers and advice for how patients can come prepared to discuss certain topics in their appointments. Limitations and future research suggestions are also discussed