Physicians' awareness and attitudes toward decision aids for patients with cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Patient decision aids are interventions designed to help patients make deliberative choices about their treatment options and have been shown to significantly improve patient outcomes. Although considered optimal, decision aids are not widely used in clinical practice for cancer treatment. The objectives of this study are to determine physicians' awareness and use of decision aids, physicians' perceptions of the major barriers to the use of decision aids, and physician characteristics predictive of use of decision aids in clinical practice.


METHODS
A population-based survey was mailed to general surgeons, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists.


RESULTS
The survey was mailed to 878 physicians, and the overall response rate to the survey was 64.5%. The majority of the participants were male and working in community hospitals for more than 10 years. Overall, 69% of the respondents were aware of decision aids, and 46% were aware of decision aids relevant to their practice. However, only 24% were currently using decision aids. The main barriers to the use of decision aids were reported as lack of awareness, lack of resources, and lack of time. Multivariate analysis showed specialty to be the only physician characteristic influencing the use of decision aids.


CONCLUSIONS
Approximately one third of physicians treating cancer patients are not aware of what decision aids are, and only 24% are currently using decision aids in clinical practice. Strategies to increase physician awareness about decision aids and to implement these tools into clinical practice are important.
Brace
Chantalle
C
Department of Surgery, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, 200 Elizabeth St, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 2C4.
Schmocker
Selina
S
Huang
Harden
H
Victor
J Charles
JC
McLeod
Robin S
RS
Kennedy
Erin D
ED
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D020000:Decision Support Systems, Clinical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D009864:Ontario; D018579:Patient Selection; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires