title: Decision-making preferences and information needs among Greek breast cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed at assessing Greek breast cancer patients' preferences for participation in treatment decision making and their information needs.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cross-sectional study, 329 breast cancer patients were administered at the Control Preferences Scale, a card-sort measurement designed to elicit preferences for participation in decision making. Information needs were assessed with Cassileth's Information Styles Questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of patients (71.1%) preferred to play a passive role in treatment decision making, with most of them wanting to delegate responsibility of the decision completely to their doctor (45.3%). A collaborative role was preferred by 24%, whereas only 4.6% chose an active role. Most women expressed a general desire for as much information as possible about their illness (62.6%), but a substantial proportion (37.4%) did not want detailed information; instead, they wished to avoid awareness of bad news. Women who desired less informational details and preferred a passive role requested less frequently a mammography (p<0.001) and/or Pap test (p<0.0005) prediagnostically.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study's findings showed that the proportion of patients who wanted to play a passive role in decision making is the highest reported compared to similar studies from other countries, indicating the impact of the dominating paternalistic model of the doctor-patient relationship in the Greek medical encounter. The association of desired information details and decision-making preferences with screening for cancer procedures prediagnostically highlights the significance of providing the patients with the appropriate information and the choices available for their treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Augoustina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Almyroudi
authors.forename: Lesley F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Degner
authors.forename: Vassiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Paika
authors.forename: Nicholaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pavlidis
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hyphantis
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D057226:Information Seeking Behavior; D008327:Mammography / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000523:psychology; D057240:Patient Preference / Q000523:psychology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000523:psychology