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The Importance of Patient Participation in Second-Line Chemotherapy Decisions: Perspectives of African-American Patients
Journal article

The Importance of Patient Participation in Second-Line Chemotherapy Decisions: Perspectives of African-American Patients

Etienne Phipps, Nora Madison, Marcia Polansky and William Tester
Journal of the National Medical Association, v 100(12), pp 1434-1440
Dec 2008
PMID: 19110911

Abstract

African American cancer treatment
Minority populations have been considered to be less-active participants in their health and, consequently, more vulnerable to having decisions made for them. We interviewed African-American patients (N=26) with cancer who had recently consented to second-line chemotherapy, offered when their disease was no longer responding to standard first-line regimen. The majority (73%) reported involvement in the decision to start second-line chemotherapy. Forty-two percent reported making the decision together with their doctor. Support for autonomy was positively associated with education (p=0.01). Information seeking was considered more important than participating in decision-making. Patients who were less educated and had lower income reported stronger internal belief that their own actions and behaviors would determine their future health (p=0.04, p=0.007, respectively). Depression was identified in 35% of the study group and found not to be associated with any of the main outcomes. Although the majority of patients report participating in the decision to begin second-line chemotherapy, there are a diversity of views towards autonomy, the importance of information seeking and determinants of future health. Understanding patients’ beliefs and attitudes around the time of disease recurrence may assist clinicians in supporting patients during this stressful time.

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Health Care Sciences & Services
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