OBJECTIVE: To verify how communication between physicians and patients takes place during diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of women with genital or breast cancer, using bioethics as a reference for analysis. METHODS: Descriptive/analytical epidemiological cross-sectional study of 120 patients randomly selected at Hospital de Base do Distrito Federal, Brazil. Patients were given a questionnaire with nine closed-ended questions distributed as follows: three related to diagnosis, four to treatment, and two to prognosis. RESULTS: The results showed that 73.3% of patients considered the quality of initial information received on the diagnosis of cancer as “negative”; 54.2% of patients understood information received on diagnosis and treatment; approximately 60% were aware of the prognosis of cancer; and less than 10% did not want additional information. However, for almost 40% of respondents, there was a problem in physician-patient communication regarding the process involving cancer. Age and extent of the disease did not influence the patients’ degree of understanding about diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. CONCLUSION: Communicating information about diagnosis, treatment and prognosis to patients with genital or breast cancer was adequate in about 60% of cases. However, problems were detected concerning the language used by physicians, lack of systematic consideration towards patient autonomy, and absence of mechanisms that could provide decision-making power to patients.
OBJECTIVE: To verify how communication between physicians and patients takes place during diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of women with genital or breast cancer, using bioethics as a reference for analysis. METHODS: Descriptive/analytical epidemiological cross-sectional study of 120 patients randomly selected at Hospital de Base do Distrito Federal, Brazil. Patients were given a questionnaire with nine closed-ended questions distributed as follows: three related to diagnosis, four to treatment, and two to prognosis. RESULTS: The results showed that 73.3% of patients considered the quality of initial information received on the diagnosis of cancer as “negative”; 54.2% of patients understood information received on diagnosis and treatment; approximately 60% were aware of the prognosis of cancer; and less than 10% did not want additional information. However, for almost 40% of respondents, there was a problem in physician-patient communication regarding the process involving cancer. Age and extent of the disease did not influence the patients’ degree of understanding about diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. CONCLUSION: Communicating information about diagnosis, treatment and prognosis to patients with genital or breast cancer was adequate in about 60% of cases. However, problems were detected concerning the language used by physicians, lack of systematic consideration towards patient autonomy, and absence of mechanisms that could provide decision-making power to patients.
Authors: Kely Regina da Luz; Mara Ambrosina de Oliveira Vargas; Pablo Henrique Schmidtt; Edison Luiz Devos Barlem; Jamila Geri Tomaschewski-Barlem; Luciana Martins da Rosa Journal: Rev Lat Am Enfermagem Date: 2015 Nov-Dec