Self-reported health-related quality of life predicts survival for patients with advanced gastric cancer treated with first-line chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: To determine whether patients' self-reported quality-of-life (QOL) parameters could predict survival for patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC) treated with first-line chemotherapy, we performed this analysis based on the data obtained from 254 patients enrolled in three consecutive prospective randomized trials at a single institution. METHODS: Consenting patients with AGC received first-line chemotherapy as specified in the protocols. QOL was assessed at baseline using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 questionnaires. Baseline univariate and multivariate analyses were performed on the QOL data and the recognized clinical predictors for survival. RESULTS: Of 254 patients, 164 completed the QOL questionnaire at baseline. All patients received fluorouracil-containing first-line chemotherapy for AGC. With 88% observed deaths and a reported median survival of 9.5 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 8.8-10.2 months], there were no significant differences in survival between patients with or without QOL data. The final Cox multivariate model revealed four prognostic factors: age [hazard ratio (HR) 2.08, 95% CI 1.32-3.33, P = 0.002], bone metastasis (HR 2.70, 95% CI 1.30-5.56, P = 0.008), hemoglobin (HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.37-0.92, P = 0.020), and social functioning (HR 0.40, 95% CI 0.23-0.64, P = 0.001). When adjusting for clinical parameters, social functioning was an independently significant prognostic factor for longer survival. CONCLUSION: Baseline social functioning, along with age, presence of bone metastasis, and baseline hemoglobin level, independently predicts survival of AGC patients treated with first-line chemotherapy. QOL assessment should be routinely included to provide useful prognostic information concerning AGC patients.

[Comparison of nursing activities reflected in nursing notes and in-depth interviews of nurses in an acute hospital].

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the nursing activities delineated by interview of nurses with those on nursing notes. METHOD: The participants of interview were 18 nurses working in medical and surgical units of a large hospital in Seoul. Each nurse was asked to choose one patient who demand most nursing care among her patients. The nurse was then interviewed to describe what her nursing activities for the patient was that day. The audio-taped interview was transcribed and the content was analyzed by researchers. Nursing notes of each nurses' patients were copied and the content analyzed by researchers. Finally, themes from the interview data and those from nursing notes were compared. RESULT: Activities related to emotional or psychological nursing, education for patient and families, and problem solving related to treatment or nursing procedure were most often omitted in nursing notes. Most of the documentation in nursing notes were related to physical condition of patients or physician's orders. Nurses described that they will do better recording if they were given less patient care responsibility, had better nursing knowledge, had better recording system, and received more training on nursing record. CONCLUSION: Nursing notes did not reflect nursing activities properly. Few independent nursing roles were documented in the nursing notes. Development of nursing education program and nursing record system is needed for improvement of nursing record.