Patients' and Family Members' Decision-Making and Information Disclosure Preferences in a Single-Center Survey in China: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Background: Understanding the medical decision-making and information disclosure preferences is important for care quality.

Objectives: To examine the feasibility of using the questionnaires and to identify modifications needed in the following study.

Design: Thirty-three pairs of patients with advanced cancers and their caregivers were asked to complete the questionnaires.

Results: More than 60% of patients and caregivers had an educational level of middle school and below. The active, passive, or shared decision-making preferences for patients were 33.3%, 39.4%, and 27.3%, respectively. Twenty of 33 patients and 24 of 33 caregivers misunderstood the questions.

Conclusions: Low educational levels may be the reason for poor understanding imprecision. It is necessary to use the modification version of the questionnaires in developing countries.

Keywords: cancer; decision-making preference; family caregivers; information disclosure preference; patients; questionnaire modification.