Measuring quality of work-life: A participatory approach in a Canadian cancer center

Background. Quality of work-life (QWL) has been gaining increasing attention in health care settings. To our knowledge, no QWL data for cancer centers have been published.Methods A participatory approach was used to develop a QWL survey that was administered to staff in Year 1 (Y1) and Year 2 (Y2) in a Canadian ambulatory cancer center.Results. Overall staff QWL scores were moderate in Y1 and Y2; however, there was considerable variation among four main employee groups (physicians, nurses, physicists, radiation therapists).Conclusions. The survey data provide a benchmark against which other cancer centers can be compared.