OBJECTIVES: To investigate different attitudes of oncology clinicians toward whether and how to disclose diagnosis to patients with different stages of cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire investigating physician's demographic information and attitude toward truth telling was delivered to 256 Chinese oncology clinicians. RESULTS: Two hundred thirty-two (90.6%) physicians completed the questionnaire. Of these oncology clinicians, 87.5% reported that a patient with early-stage cancer should be informed of the diagnosis, while only 40.5% believed that a patient with terminal illness should know the truth (P<0.001). Physicians who preferred to tell the truth reported that patients with early or terminal stage of cancer should be informed by the doctor-in-charge (81.3 vs 77.7%, respectively; P>0.05), immediately after the diagnosis (83.7 vs 87.2%, respectively), and in a quiet and undisturbed room (63.5 vs 68.1%, respectively; P>0.05). In stepwise multiple logistic regression analyses, no demographic information showed association with truth telling of early-stage cancer. Women doctors [odds ratio (OR), 2.25; 95% CI, 1.31 to 3.89; P=0.004] were more likely than men to want the patient to be informed of the terminal illness. Physicians with cancer relatives (OR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.31 to 0.97; P=0.04) were less likely than physicians without cancer relatives to want the patient to be informed of the terminal illness. CONCLUSION: Oncology clinicians differed in their attitudes toward truth telling of different stages of cancer. Physicians reported that the doctor-in-charge should be the ones to disclose the condition of the patient, immediately after the diagnosis, and in a quiet and undisturbed room.
OBJECTIVES: To investigate different attitudes of oncology clinicians toward whether and how to disclose diagnosis to patients with different stages of cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire investigating physician's demographic information and attitude toward truth telling was delivered to 256 Chinese oncology clinicians. RESULTS: Two hundred thirty-two (90.6%) physicians completed the questionnaire. Of these oncology clinicians, 87.5% reported that a patient with early-stage cancer should be informed of the diagnosis, while only 40.5% believed that a patient with terminal illness should know the truth (P<0.001). Physicians who preferred to tell the truth reported that patients with early or terminal stage of cancer should be informed by the doctor-in-charge (81.3 vs 77.7%, respectively; P>0.05), immediately after the diagnosis (83.7 vs 87.2%, respectively), and in a quiet and undisturbed room (63.5 vs 68.1%, respectively; P>0.05). In stepwise multiple logistic regression analyses, no demographic information showed association with truth telling of early-stage cancer. Women doctors [odds ratio (OR), 2.25; 95% CI, 1.31 to 3.89; P=0.004] were more likely than men to want the patient to be informed of the terminal illness. Physicians with cancer relatives (OR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.31 to 0.97; P=0.04) were less likely than physicians without cancer relatives to want the patient to be informed of the terminal illness. CONCLUSION: Oncology clinicians differed in their attitudes toward truth telling of different stages of cancer. Physicians reported that the doctor-in-charge should be the ones to disclose the condition of the patient, immediately after the diagnosis, and in a quiet and undisturbed room.
Authors: V Rubio Arribas; E Sampedro Martínez; M Zapirain Sarasola; I Gil Benito; S Ayechu Redin; V Tapiz Ibáñez Journal: Aten Primaria Date: 2004-04-30 Impact factor: 1.137
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