When life gives you no choice: Context of decision‐making when offered an oncology clinical trial.

Background: Patients with advanced cancer are faced with a wide variety of challenges and difficult treatment decisions made while in a vulnerable life‐threatening situation, including decisions about clinical trial participation. Internationally, there is a great focus on shared decision‐making as...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences Vol. 36; no. 1; pp. 81 - 90
Main Authors: Gregersen, Trine A., Birkelund, Regner, Wolderslund, Maiken, Steffensen, Karina Dahl, Ammentorp, Jette
Format: research tables/charts Journal Article
Published: Wiley-Blackwell Mar2022
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
fields @attributes:
  recordID: 1
pdfLink:
plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=155146958&site=ehost-live
header:
  @attributes:
    shortDbName: ccm
    uiTerm: 155146958
    longDbName: CINAHL Complete
    uiTag: AN
  controlInfo:
    bkinfo:
    dissinfo:
    jinfo:
      jid:
        02839318
        BD4
      jtl: Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences
      issn: 02839318
      maglogo: Y
    pubinfo:
      dt: Mar2022
      vid: 36
      iid: 1
      pid: 480
      pub: Wiley-Blackwell
      place: Malden, Massachusetts
    artinfo:
      ui:
        155146958
        155146958
        155146958
        10.1111/scs.12965
        155146958
      ppf: 81
      ppct: 9
      formats:
        fmt:
          – @attributes:
              type: T
          – @attributes:
              type: C
          – @attributes:
              type: P
      tig:
        atl: When life gives you no choice: Context of decision‐making when offered an oncology clinical trial.
      aug:
        au:
          Gregersen, Trine A.
          Birkelund, Regner
          Wolderslund, Maiken
          Steffensen, Karina Dahl
          Ammentorp, Jette
        affil: Department of Oncology, Lillebaelt Hospital ‐ University Hospital of Southern Denmark, Vejle, Denmark
      sug:
        subj:
          Decision Making Evaluation
          Consumer Participation
          Research Subject Recruitment
          Clinical Trials
          Patients
          Health Personnel
          Professional Role
          Human
          Participant Observation
          Thematic Analysis
          Attitude to Medical Treatment
          Patient Attitudes
          Cues
          Attitude of Health Personnel
          Qualitative Studies
          Interviews
          Male
          Female
          Adult
          Middle Age
          Aged
          Data Analysis Software
          Field Notes
          Physician-Patient Relations
          Quality of Life
          Adult: 19-44 years
          Middle Aged: 45-64 years
          Aged: 65+ years
          Male
          Female
      ab: Background: Patients with advanced cancer are faced with a wide variety of challenges and difficult treatment decisions made while in a vulnerable life‐threatening situation, including decisions about clinical trial participation. Internationally, there is a great focus on shared decision‐making as a way to help patients and healthcare professionals to make informed decisions together; nevertheless, research focusing on patient experiences shows that information about clinical trials is insufficient in supporting patients to make trial decisions in the context of their course of disease and managing life with advanced cancer. Aim: To explore where and how decisions about participation in oncology clinical trials are made and the role of the patients and healthcare professionals. Methods: Participant observation was used as a qualitative research method to gain knowledge about decision‐making in different clinical situations. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Four themes were developed: (a) preformed decisions, (b) dissimilar perceptions of successful treatment, (c) cues and concerns stated by patients and (d) creating common ground. Conclusion: There are underexposed aspects to be aware of in the decision‐making process for clinical trial participation. Preformed decisions made by the physicians before the encounter with patients seemed to narrow down the patients' options and could have benefited from including the patients' views. Cues and concerns stated by patients were often neglected. However, when physicians talked with the patients about truly difficult issues such as treatment expectations, hope and death, it led to another kind of conversation about treatment decisions involving the patients' preferences. Implications for practice: Awareness of preformed decisions and an increased focus on picking up cues and concerns about existential issues in the clinical encounter may improve the quality of the decisions and increase shared decision‐making.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
    refInfo:
    holdings:
      @attributes:
        islocal: N