Feasibility of using a computer-assisted intervention to enhance the way women with breast cancer communicate with their physicians

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of using a computer intervention to enhance communication between healthcare professionals and women with breast cancer. Additional aims were to measure the extent to which women achieved their preferred decisional roles and satisfaction with the clinical medical appointment. This two-arm randomized clinical trial design included a convenience sample of 749 women with breast cancer attending 3 urban Canadian outpatient oncology clinics. Most women were older than 50 years and had a high school diploma or greater (57%). Women in the control group completed measures of decision preference before their clinic appointments. Women in the intervention group were encouraged to use the information and decision preference profiles generated by the computer program at their clinic appointments. Levels of involvement in decision making and satisfaction were measured after the clinic appointments. Results showed that although the majority of women in both groups did assume their preferred roles in decision making, a significantly higher proportion of women in the intervention group reported playing a more passive role than originally planned. Both groups reported high satisfaction levels. Future research is required to study how this computer intervention could be used by clinicians to provide information and decision support to these women.