Psychological factors and prognostic communication preferences in advanced cancer: multicentre study

Abstract

Objectives: Communication regarding prognosis to patients with advanced cancer is fundamental for informed medical decision making. Our objective was to analyse (1) the proportion of subjects with advanced cancer who prefer to know their prognosis, (2) the characteristics associated with patients’ preference for prognostic information, (3) the psychological factors that impact the preference to know prognosis and 4) the concordance between preference for prognostic information perceived among physicians and patients. Methods: A prospective, cross-sectional design was adopted. Data were collected from 748 participants with advanced cancer at 15 tertiary hospitals in Spain. Participants completed the following questionnaires: Mental Adjustment to Cancer; Trust in the Physician; Uncertainty in Illness Scale Patient’s Prognostic Preferences. Results: Fifty-two per cent of advanced cancer sufferers preferred to know the prognosis of their disease. Compared with participants who preferred not to know, those who did reported more uncertainty, greater satisfaction with their physician and higher scores on positive attitude (all p=0.001). Thirty-seven per cent of the physicians believed that patients want to know their prognosis, indicating that they underestimate the number of such patients. No significant differences were found regarding preference to know prognosis as a function of sociodemographic and clinical variables. Conclusions: A substantial proportion of individuals with advanced cancer prefer to know the prognosis of their disease. It appears that knowing their prognosis was mainly motivated by a need to maintain a positive attitude, lessen uncertainty and by satisfaction with the physician. It is important to explore patients’ preferences for information to offer more personalised communication.