Patient–clinician information engagement increases treatment decision satisfaction among cancer patients through feeling of being informed

ObjectiveExamine how patient–clinician information engagement (PCIE) may operate through feeling informed to influence patients’ treatment decision satisfaction (TDS).MethodsRandomly drawn sample (N = 2013) from Pennsylvania Cancer Registry, comprised of breast, prostate and colon cancer patients completed mail surveys in the Fall of 2006 (response rate = 64%) and Fall of 2007. Of 2013 baseline respondents, 85% agreed to participate in follow-up survey (N = 1703). Of those who agreed, 76% (N = 1293) completed follow-up surveys. The sample was split between males and females. The majority of participants were White, over the age of 50, married, and with a high school degree. Most reported having been diagnosed with in situ and local cancer.ResultsPCIE was related to concurrent TDS (β = .06) and feeling informed (β = .15), after confounder adjustments. A mediation analysis was consistent with PCIE affecting TDS through feeling informed. Baseline PCIE predicted feeling informed (β = .04) measured 1 year later, after adjustments for baseline feeling informed and other confounders. Feeling informed was related to concurrent TDS (β = .35) after confounder adjustment and follow-up TDS (β = .13) after baseline TDS and confounder adjustment.ConclusionResults suggest PCIE affects TDS in part through patients’ feeling informed.Practice implicationsPCIE may be important in determining patients’ level of feeling informed and TDS.