Bringing the Patient Voice into GYN Cancer Care Decisions
In support of Clinical Care Options, LLC’ s medical education program, Smarter. Stronger. Together. Education and Resources to Optimize Clinical Outcomes in Gynecologic Cancers, members of the Smart Patients ovarian, endometrial and cervical cancer communities were asked via an online patient survey how certain personal, social, and contextual factors influence their own treatment decisions and treatment goals.
The majority of patients who participated in the survey had a history of ovarian cancer (67%), followed by patients with endometrial cancer (19%).
What Matters Most to Patients with Gynecologic Cancers
Dr. Ritu Salani, Professor and Division Director of Gynecologic Oncology at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA shares her perspective about the Smart Patients online survey and shares opportunities for clinician and patient engagement in managing gynecologic disease.
Bringing the Patient Voice into Gynecologic Cancer Care Decisions
While the likelihood of benefit reigns as most important, impact on activities of daily living, burden on family and emotional or mental side effects factor heavily into gynecologic cancer treatment decisions.
Communication around diagnostic and molecular testing, risk factors, prognosis, treatment options and goals of treatment could be improved.
Where do patients turn for information?
Patients generally turn to their doctor and their clinical care team for information about their cancer, but they also rely on websites.
Working with your healthcare team
58% of patients report that they are confident or very confident in their ability to work with their healthcare team.
What Matters to Patients in Making Treatment Decisions?
Download the resources below to learn more about what matters to patients in making treatment decisions, and to access tools you can use with your patients to support shared decision making.
What Are Smart Patients Saying?
You may find this infographic useful in educating care teams and clinicians on patient preferences in treatment decision making.
Patient Preference Survey Tool
You may find this survey tool useful in finding out more about your patients’ preferences in care decisions (adapted from Rocques publication).
Click the link below to download the questionnaire used in this study.
Download our guide: What patients say about treatment decisions