[Knowledge and preferences of the patients about medical information: a study on 700 patients in a regional comprehensive cancer centre].

Information is an important part of the patient care in oncology. The role and objectives of patient information were determined by a law passed in March 2002. This study investigates the knowledge of the patients about their rights and their views on what they consider most important. Information about health status and treatments is considered a priority (92.8% of respondents). The majority of patients whish to be given every information about their disease and treatments. On the contrary only 6.7% would rather receive less precise information tailored to what they want to know. Keeping control on the communication of their health information to relatives and other doctors is the option preferred by the majority of patients. Fifty two per cent of the persons are reluctant to be given medical information on the telephone. However opinions differ among social classes since 62% of patients from the upper classes consider it positively. This study demonstrates that the 2002 law is, in its broad outlines, a good response to patient's information needs.