METHODS
After obtaining IRB approval, patients due for cancer treatment or
surveillance between January 1, 2020 and June 30, 2020 were identified
using the electronic medical record (EMR). Deceased patients were
excluded. A brief electronic survey (Appendix 1) was developed, and an
introductory letter containing the link was distributed via mail and at
clinic visits. Anonymous responses were voluntarily collected between
July and December 2020.
Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics and comparisons of
patient distress using demographics, clinical characteristics, and
psychosocial factors. For independent predictors that were two-level
categorical variables, Mann-Whitney U-test or student t-test was used.
For the independent predictors that were more than two-level categorical
variables, Kruskal-Wallis test or one-way ANOVA were used. When the
independent predictors were continuous variables, Pearson correlation or
Spearman correlation were used. All statistical analysis was completed
using SAS 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA).