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- Title
Treatment decision‐making and the added value of the general practitioner: A qualitative exploration of cancer patients' perspectives.
- Authors
Noteboom, Eveline A.; Vervoort, Sigrid C. J. M.; May, Anne M.; Dorst, Eleonora B. L.; Lindert, Anne S. R.; Elst, Maarten W.; Bijlsma, Rhodé M.; Wall, Elsken; Wit, Niek J.; Helsper, Charles W.
- Abstract
Objective: Cancer patients are increasingly involved in decision‐making for cancer treatment. General practitioners' (GPs) support in this process is advocated. Therefore, GPs need to be aware of patients' treatment decision‐making process and their potential role. We aim to understand the treatment decision‐making process and to explore the added value of GP involvement, from the perspective of cancer patients treated with curative intent. Methods: An explorative qualitative study was performed. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 20 purposively sampled Dutch cancer patients treated with curative intent. Results: Patients' treatment decision‐making process was dominated by a focus on 'safeguarding survival'. Patients generally followed the treatment plan as proposed by their physician and did not always experience having a treatment choice. The majority of patients expressed added value for GP involvement, mainly to provide psychological support, but also for providing shared decision‐making (SDM) support. Conclusion: The treatment decision‐making process of cancer patients treated with curative intent is dominated by the urge to 'safeguard survival'. GPs should be aware of their added value in providing psychological support and their potential role to support SDM following a cancer diagnosis.
- Subjects
RESEARCH; OCCUPATIONAL roles; SOCIAL support; PATIENT decision making; RESEARCH methodology; GROUNDED theory; INTERVIEWING; CANCER patients; PATIENTS' attitudes; QUALITATIVE research; RESEARCH funding; JUDGMENT sampling; THEMATIC analysis; DATA analysis software
- Publication
European Journal of Cancer Care, 2021, Vol 30, Issue 3, p1
- ISSN
0961-5423
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/ecc.13410