Patient-clinician information engagement increases treatment decision satisfaction among cancer patients through feeling of being informed

Objective: Examine how patient-clinician information engagement (PCIE) may operate through feeling informed to influence patients' treatment decision satisfaction (TDS). Methods: Randomly drawn sample (N = 2013) from Pennsylvania Cancer Registry, comprised of breast, prostate and colon cancer patients completed mail surveys in the Fall of 2006 (response rate = 64%) and Fall of 2007. Of 2013 baseline respondents, 85% agreed to participate in follow-up survey (N = 1703). Of those who agreed, 76% (N = 1293) completed follow-up surveys. The sample was split between males and females. The majority of participants were White, over the age of 50, married, and with a high school degree. Most reported having been diagnosed with in situ and local cancer. Results: PCIE was related to concurrent TDS (beta = .06) and feeling informed (beta = .15), after confounder adjustments. A mediation analysis was consistent with PCIE affecting TDS through feeling informed. Baseline PCIE predicted feeling informed (beta = .04) measured I year later, after adjustments for baseline feeling informed and other confounders. Feeling informed was related to concurrent TDS (beta = .35) after confounder adjustment and follow-up TDS (beta = .13) after baseline TDS and confounder adjustment. Conclusion: Results suggest PCIE affects TDS in part through patients' feeling informed. Practice implications: PCIE may be important in determining patients' level of feeling informed and TDS. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.