Communication of a cancer diagnosis: Patients’ perceptions of when they were first told they had cancer

Walsh, Declan; Nelson, Kristine A.

doi:10.1177/104990910302000112

Cited by 13 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Even though delivery of this news might not have a direct impact on disease management or outcomes, the manner in which physicians communicate about a cancer diagnosis can affect the level of patient distress 8 . If the delivery is reassuring and empathetic, it can help to alleviate the emotional turmoil that patients and families go through when receiving the news for the first time 3 . Moreover, initial interactions with patients have a long-lasting effect in the patient-provider relationship.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to the emotional turmoil, patients often have to quickly gain new knowledge so that they understand their care options when discussing treatment plans with their provider, while trying to cope with the news. Communication with health care providers during diagnosis and treatment planning is therefore of particular sensitivity and importance, and it can influence a patient's emotional state, attitude, and decisions about treatment 2,3 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Experience of Patients with Cancer during Diagnosis and Treatment Planning: A Descriptive Study of Canadian Survey Results

et al. 2017

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Experience of Patients with Cancer during Diagnosis and Treatment Planning: A Descriptive Study of Canadian Survey Results

et al. 2017

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“…However, prior literature is largely non-empirical, consisting of letters, opinion pieces, correspondence and reviews (6–10). Step-wise protocols and guidelines (6) have been published, but less than one-fifth of studies involve an intervention trial and greater than 90% of studies fail to measure psychosocial outcomes for patients (11).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disclosing a Diagnosis of Cancer

Kuroki

Zhao

Jeffe

et al. 2013

Obstetrics &Amp; Gynecology

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Objective To characterize gynecologic oncology patients’ perceptions of the process of disclosure of cancer diagnosis. Methods We surveyed 100 gynecologic oncology patients between December 2011 and September 2012. An 83-item tool based on three validated assessment tools evaluated patient-centered factors, physician behavior and communication skills, and environmental factors. Associations between patients’ satisfaction and these variables were analyzed using Wilcoxon rank-sum, Kruskal-Wallis, and Spearman’s rho tests. Poisson regression was used to assess factors associated with patient’s satisfaction. Results Twenty-four percent of patients were notified of their diagnosis by phone, 60% in the physician’s office and 16% in the hospital. Disclosure was performed by an obstetrician–gynecologist (58%), gynecologic oncologist (26%), primary care physician (8%), or other (8%). Fifty-two percent of all patients were accompanied by a support person. Higher patient satisfaction scores were associated with face to face disclosure (mean score 91% vs. over the phone 72%, p=0.02), a private setting (mean score 92% vs. impersonal setting 72%, p=0.004), and duration of the encounter of greater than 10 minutes (mean score 94% vs. less than 10 minutes 79%, p<0.001). Multivariate analysis confirmed that both physician communication skills (p<0.001) and patient-centered factors (eg, perception of physician sensitivity and empathy, opportunities to ask questions and express emotion, and set the pace of conversation) (p=0.013) were associated with higher patient satisfaction. Conclusions Effective physician communication skills and patient-centered factors resulted in higher patient satisfaction with the gynecologic cancer diagnosis disclosure experience.

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“…4,[11][12][13] However, these studies have significant limitations in that they are either single institution studies or underpowered. 4,5,[11][12][13][14][15] Two studies examined how a cancer diagnosis was disclosed in relation to the patient's preferences, 16,17 but the authors did not adequately evaluate patients' satisfaction with the disclosure approach and the psychological impact of the different approaches to disclosure.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[4][5][6][7] Furthermore, where, when, and how the delivery of a cancer diagnosis actually occurs have not been widely studied. [8][9][10] Some studies suggest that 16% to 40% of patients with cancer have received their diagnosis over the phone and/or through the mail.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disclosing a Diagnosis of Cancer: Where and How Does It Occur?

Figg

Smith

Price

et al. 2010

JCO

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A B S T R A C T PurposeWhile disclosing a cancer diagnosis to a patient is common practice, how it is disclosed and the impact it has on the patient are poorly understood. We examined how cancer diagnoses were first given to patients and the impact of different aspects of disclosure on patient satisfaction. Patients and MethodsWe provided a self-administered questionnaire to a total of 460 oncology patients of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) being treated at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD. ResultsOf the 437 patients who completed the survey, 54% were told their diagnosis in-person in the physician's office, 18% by phone, and 28% in the hospital. Forty-four percent of patients reported discussions of 10 minutes or fewer, 53% reported discussions lasting longer than 10 minutes, and 5% could not remember. Treatment options were not discussed for 31% of those who could clearly remember. Higher mean satisfaction scores were associated with diagnoses revealed in person rather than over the phone (68.2 Ϯ 1.6 v 47.2 Ϯ 3.7), diagnoses revealed in a personal setting rather than an impersonal setting (68.9 Ϯ 1.6 v 55.7 Ϯ 2.8), discussions lasting longer than 10 minutes rather than fewer than 10 minutes (73.5 Ϯ 1.9 v 54.1 Ϯ 2.4), and inclusion of treatment options rather than exclusion (72.0 Ϯ 1.9 v 50.7 Ϯ 3.2; P Ͻ .001 for each aspect). ConclusionPhysicians should disclose a cancer diagnosis in a personal setting, discussing the diagnosis and treatment options for a substantial period of time whenever possible.

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Communication of a cancer diagnosis: Patients’ perceptions of when they were first told they had cancer

Cited by 13 publications

References 12 publications

The Experience of Patients with Cancer during Diagnosis and Treatment Planning: A Descriptive Study of Canadian Survey Results

The Experience of Patients with Cancer during Diagnosis and Treatment Planning: A Descriptive Study of Canadian Survey Results

Disclosing a Diagnosis of Cancer

Disclosing a Diagnosis of Cancer: Where and How Does It Occur?

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