[Quality perceived in the care process by patients treated with prostatectomy for cancer. Results of a qualitative study].
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the care process and treatment outcomes from the perspective of patients undergoing prostatectomy. METHODS: A qualitative study based on depth interviews was performed in 12 of 14 patients who had undergone prostatectomy for localized prostate cancer at a regional hospital. An intentional survey was carried out. Patients were informed about the survey through a letter and by telephone and were asked to decide where they wished the interview to be held. All patients were interviewed by one of the authors who was unrelated with the hospital. The interviews were recorded and transcribed with the patients' consent and the assurance of confidentiality. We performed qualitative analysis of the transcriptions, interviewer's notes and patient hospital discharge reports, and validation through discussion of the results after deleting all identity-related data. RESULTS: Transmission of the care process experiences transcends the presumable adequacy to the conventional phases of diagnosis, treatment and outcome. Patient assessment varied according to the functional results achieved, previous symptoms, patient expectations and interpretation of the information provided. Due to this variability, the urologist's approach should be individualized to each patient from the outset, before the definitive diagnosis is made, and should continue long after surgery. In this regard, substantial shortcomings in urologist-patient communication were found. CONCLUSIONS: The approach to the perspectives of patients with localized prostate cancer is a necessary component that has not been sufficiently developed by the urologist during the clinical management of this disease or its subsequent assessment. Apart from the changes in attitude that the foregoing may entail, it is advisable to incorporate quantitative and qualitative measures that support patient assessment of quality of life and its variability, into the daily practice of all the health professionals involved.