Proper information during the surgical decision-making process lowers the anxiety of patients with high-grade gliomas.
OBJECTIVE
We aim to analyse the relationship between the quality of information during the decision-making process regarding surgery to treat high-grade gliomas and the level of anxiety of the patients.


METHODS
This is a transversal, descriptive and correlational study on 26 patients with a clinical and radiological diagnosis of high-grade glioma. They scored the quality (in terms of comprehension and satisfaction) of information received about the treatment options and prognosis during the surgical decision-making process, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale questionnaire (HADS) was applied immediately afterward.


RESULTS
Lower levels of anxiety were observed in patients who showed a desire to receive information regarding their illness, those with a higher degree of comprehension, and those with a higher level of satisfaction with the information provided.


CONCLUSIONS
An improvement in the communication process contributes to a decrease in the levels of anxiety, and consequently to enhancement of the well-being of these patients.
Díaz
José L
JL
Servicio de Neurocirugía, Hospital General Universitario de Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
Barreto
Pilar
P
Gallego
José M
JM
Barbero
Javier
J
Bayés
Ramón
R
Barcia
Juan A
JA
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D001293:Attitude to Death; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D003657:Decision Making / Q000941:ethics*; D003863:Depression / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000523:psychology; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires