Patient Experiences Regarding Feasibility of Implementing Real-World EQ-5D Collection at an Oncology Centre in Ontario, Canada

Cancer treatments impact health-related quality of life (HRQoL). EQ-5D is a standardized generic measure of HRQoL. The objective of this project was to assess, from the patient's perspective, the feasibility of implementing real-world EQ-5D-3L measurement at a pilot site, as a first step to large-scale collection of EQ-5D from patients with cancer across Ontario. This was a prospective longitudinal study at a single oncology centre to understand the feasibility of routinely collecting EQ-5D-3L while patients receive chemotherapy (N = 170). Consenting patients completed an additional questionnaire on feasibility, and a subset of participants were directly interviewed to provide further feedback and suggest improvements to questionnaire collection. Themes emerging from the interviews were analyzed using content analysis. Of 170 eligible and consenting patients who completed an initial EQ-5D-3L questionnaire, 103 (60.6%) completed at least one follow-up questionnaire. When asked about willingness to answer future questionnaires at subsequent visits, 115 (67.3%) answered definitely; 35 (20.5%) very likely. Patients provided feedback on their overall experience of completing EQ-5D-3L, the questionnaire presentation, frequency of completion, and analytic plans. Patients expressed that routinely collecting EQ-5D-3L is feasible. Incorporating patient feedback regarding EQ-5D collection will facilitate implementation of systematic collection at cancer centres across Ontario.