A M Stiggelbout1, G M Kiebert. 1. Medical Decision Making Unit, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess whether patient preferences regarding information and participation in decision-making about treatment options are related to patient characteristics and the context of the decision. Other studies have compared decision-making preferences in patients with cancer and healthy subjects, or in different contexts among patients in the same group. This study combined these designs. DESIGN: Questionnaire completed by the subjects. SETTING: Outpatient clinic of a university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: A consecutive sample of 55 patients with cancer treated at a radiotherapy clinic, 53 persons accompanying them, a consecutive sample of 53 patients visiting a surgical outpatient clinic for a nonmalignant condition and 36 persons accompanying them. MAIN MEASURES: Preferences regarding information and participation in decision-making in general and with respect to 4 vignettes that described different diseases of varying seriousness, varying treatment options and side effects. RESULTS: Older patients and men were more likely to let the physician make decisions regarding their treatment. Patients, as compared with nonpatients (their companions), were more likely to prefer a passive role regarding treatment decisions. No differences were seen between patients with cancer and patients with nonmalignant conditions. Also, no effect was observed in relation to the decision-making situations described in the vignettes. Of the patients who preferred more information, a substantial proportion still preferred a passive decision-making role. CONCLUSION: The lack of strong predictors of a preferred decision-making role implies that clinicians need to assess every patient individually to determine what role he or she prefers. The finding that the patients preferred a more passive role than their companions suggests that the "sick role" influences the preference regarding participation more strongly than the type of decision to be made or the presence of a life-threatening disease. This hypothesized shift in preference among subjects who are sick implies that these patients need encouragement to participate.
OBJECTIVE: To assess whether patient preferences regarding information and participation in decision-making about treatment options are related to patient characteristics and the context of the decision. Other studies have compared decision-making preferences in patients with cancer and healthy subjects, or in different contexts among patients in the same group. This study combined these designs. DESIGN: Questionnaire completed by the subjects. SETTING:Outpatient clinic of a university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: A consecutive sample of 55 patients with cancer treated at a radiotherapy clinic, 53 persons accompanying them, a consecutive sample of 53 patients visiting a surgical outpatient clinic for a nonmalignant condition and 36 persons accompanying them. MAIN MEASURES: Preferences regarding information and participation in decision-making in general and with respect to 4 vignettes that described different diseases of varying seriousness, varying treatment options and side effects. RESULTS: Older patients and men were more likely to let the physician make decisions regarding their treatment. Patients, as compared with nonpatients (their companions), were more likely to prefer a passive role regarding treatment decisions. No differences were seen between patients with cancer and patients with nonmalignant conditions. Also, no effect was observed in relation to the decision-making situations described in the vignettes. Of the patients who preferred more information, a substantial proportion still preferred a passive decision-making role. CONCLUSION: The lack of strong predictors of a preferred decision-making role implies that clinicians need to assess every patient individually to determine what role he or she prefers. The finding that the patients preferred a more passive role than their companions suggests that the "sick role" influences the preference regarding participation more strongly than the type of decision to be made or the presence of a life-threatening disease. This hypothesized shift in preference among subjects who are sick implies that these patients need encouragement to participate.
Authors: Heather M Davey; Alexandra L Barratt; Elizabeth Davey; Phyllis N Butow; Sally Redman; Nehmat Houssami; Glenn P Salkeld Journal: Health Expect Date: 2002-12 Impact factor: 3.377
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