Preferred roles in treatment decision making among patients with cancer: a pooled analysis of studies using the Control Preferences Scale.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Pooled individual participant data analysis of non-randomized observational studies.
What was done
Individual patient data were compiled across 6 clinical studies comprising 3,491 patients with cancer who completed the 2-item Control Preferences Scale to evaluate preferred versus actually experienced roles (active, collaborative, or passive) in treatment decision making, including demographic and US versus Canadian comparisons.
What was found
Preferred roles were 26% active, 49% collaborative, and 25% passive, whereas actual experienced roles were 30% active, 34% collaborative, and 36% passive. Concordance between preferred and actual roles occurred in roughly 61% of patients (6% had extreme discordance). Concordance was higher in men than women (66% vs 60%, P = .001) and in US than Canadian patients (84% vs 54%, P < .001). Passive roles were more frequently preferred and experienced by Canadian patients than US patients (42% vs 18%, P < .001), by women than men (40% vs 24%, P < .001), and by older compared to younger patients.
Why it matters
Although most cancer patients favor collaborative or active decision-making roles, nearly 40% experience discordance with their actual involvement, indicating a need for individualized communication strategies in oncology care.
Limits
The abstract does not report specific cancer types, stages, or treatment contexts, nor does it report confidence intervals or whether discordance impacted clinical or psychological outcomes.
Cited by
- context Roughly two-thirds of surveyed healthy people say they would want to choose their own cancer treatment if diagnosed, but only about 10% of actual cancer patients want that choice.