Satisfaction with treatment decision-making and treatment regret among Latinas and non-Latina whites with DCIS

ObjectiveTo examine differences in treatment decision-making participation, satisfaction, and regret among Latinas and non-Latina whites with DCIS.MethodsSurvey of Latina and non-Latina white women diagnosed with DCIS. We assessed women's preferences for involvement in decision-making, primary treatment decision maker, and participatory decision-making. We examined primary outcomes of satisfaction with treatment decision-making and treatment regret by ethnic-language group.ResultsAmong 745 participants (349 Latinas, 396 white) Spanish-speaking Latinas (SSL) had the highest mean preference for involvement in decision-making score and the lowest mean participatory decision-making score and were more likely to defer their final treatment decision to their physicians than English-speaking Latinas or whites (26%, 13%, 18%, p < 0.05). SSLs reported lower satisfaction with treatment decision-making (OR 0.4; CI 95%, 0.2–0.8) and expressed more regret than whites (OR 6.2; CI 95%, 3.0–12.4). More participatory decision-making increased the odds of satisfaction (OR 1.5; CI 95%, 1.3–1.8) and decreased the odds of treatment regret (OR 0.8; CI 95%, 0.7–1.0), independent of ethnicity-language.ConclusionLanguage barriers impede the establishment of decision-making partnerships between Latinas and their physicians, and result in less satisfaction with the decision-making process and more treatment regret.Practice implicationsUse of professional interpreters may address communication-related disparities for these women.