Original article
Decision making during serious illness: What role do patients really want to play?

https://doi.org/10.1016/0895-4356(92)90110-9Get rights and content

Abstract

Two surveys were conducted to determine what roles people actually want to assume in selecting cancer treatments. 436 newly diagnosed cancer patients and 482 members of the general public participated. Preferences were elicited using two card sort procedures, each of which described five potential roles in decision making. Findings suggested that the impact of being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness may influence preferences to participate. The majority (59%) of patients wanted physicians to make treatment decisions on their behalf, but 64% of the public thought they would want to select their own treatment if they developed cancer. Most patients (51%) and members of the public (46%) wanted their physician and family to share responsibility for decision making if they were too ill to participate. Sociodemographic variables accounted for only 15% of variance in preferences. These variables are not particularly useful in making predictions about which groups want more or less active roles in medical decision making.

References (21)

  • C.G. Blanchard et al.

    Information and decision-making preferences of hospitalized adult cancer patients

    Soc Sci Med

    (1988)
  • L.L. Northouse et al.

    Models of helping and coping in cancer care

    Patient Educ Counsel

    (1990)
  • E.J. Robinson et al.

    Improving the efficiency of patients' comprehension monitoring

    Soc Sci Med

    (1985)
  • B.R. Cassileth et al.

    Information and participation preferences among cancer patients

    Ann Intern Med

    (1980)
  • J. Ende et al.

    Measuring patients' desire for autonomy

    J Gen Intern Med

    (1989)
  • I.B. Vertinsky et al.

    Measuring consumer desire for participation in clinical decision making

    Health Serv Res

    (1974)
  • L.F. Degner et al.

    Preferences for treatment control among adults with cancer

    Res Nurs Health

    (1988)
  • L.F. Degner et al.

    Life-Death Decisions in Health Care

    (1987)
  • S.P. McKenna et al.

    Weighting the seriousness of perceived health problems using Thurstone's method of paired comparisons

    Int J Epidemiol

    (1981)
  • R. McCorkle et al.

    Development of a sympton distress scale

    Cancer Nurs

    (1978)
There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (0)

View full text