Information needs of early-stage prostate cancer patients: A comparison of nine countries

Deb Feldman-Stewart*, Carlo Capirci, Sarah Brennenstuhl, Christine Tong, Ufuk M. Abacioglu, Marzena Gawkowska-Suwinska, Francis van Gils, Alicja Heyda, Sefik Igdem, Victor Macias, Isabel Monteiro Grillo, Clare Moynihan, Madelon Pijls-Johannesma, Chris Parker, Nuno Pimentel, Herbert Woerdehoff

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Providing information to patients can improve their medical and psychological outcomes. We sought to identify core information needs common to most early-stage prostate cancer patients in participating countries.Convenience samples of patients treated 3-24 months earlier were surveyed in Canada, England, Italy, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, and Turkey. Each participant rated the importance of addressing each of 92 questions in the diagnosis-to-treatment decision interval (essential/desired/no opinion/avoid). Multivariate modelling determined the extent of variance accounted by covariates, and produced an unbiased prediction of the proportion of essential responses for each question.Six hundred and fifty-nine patients responded (response rates 45-77%). On average, 35-53 questions were essential within each country; similar questions were essential to most patients in most countries. Beyond cross-country similarities, each country showed wide variability in the number and which questions were essential. Multivariate modelling showed an adjusted R-squared with predictors country, age, education, and treatment group of only 6% of the variance. A core of 20 questions were predicted to be essential to >2/3 of patients.Core information can be identified across countries. However, providing the core should only be a first step; each country should then provide information tailored to the needs of the individual patient.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)328-333
JournalRadiotherapy and Oncology
Volume94
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2010

Keywords

  • Early-stage prostate cancer
  • Patient information needs
  • Patient education

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