Stronger therapeutic alliance is associated with better quality of life among patients with advanced cancer.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Patient-oncologist therapeutic alliance is a foundation of quality cancer care, although there is limited research demonstrating its relationship with patient outcomes. We investigated the relationship between therapeutic alliance and patient quality of life with a secondary goal of determining whether the association varied by patients' baseline level of psychological distress.

Methods

Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from a randomized clinical trial of 672 patients with advanced cancer participating in a primary palliative care intervention trial. Patients completed baseline self-reported measures of therapeutic alliance (The Human Connection Scale, range: 16-64), overall quality of life (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Palliative Care, range: 0-

SUBMITTER: Thomas T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9243649 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature