Impact of assigned care providers on involvement, information, and emotional support to cancer patients.

PURPOSE: Patient-reported experience measures represent the patient's voice and offer a way to evaluate continuity of care. We investigated the impact of having an assigned care provider on experienced involvement, information, and emotional support. METHODS: Data from a national survey sent to patients recently diagnosed with cancer. Answers were grouped and compared using Pearson's chi-square test. RESULTS: A total of 89.1% of respondents reported having an assigned care provider. These individuals reported higher levels of involvement, information, and emotional support compared to individuals who did not have an assigned care provider. The profession of the care provider had little impact. CONCLUSION: An assigned care provider is important for maintaining continuity of care. This should be encouraged in cancer care as it leads to better patient experience across all investigated domains. The widely spread use of contact nurses in cancer care in Sweden provides a solid ground for such continuity. The continuous use of patient-reported experience measures promotes more people-centered healthcare practices.