title: Addressing patients' information needs: a first evaluation of a question prompt sheet in the pretreatment consultation for patients with esophageal cancer.
abstract: This study aims to develop and pilot a question prompt sheet to assist esophageal cancer patients to obtain desired information in the consultation in which potentially curative esophagectomy is discussed. Whether a prompt sheet affected patients' question asking, the number and scope of topics discussed, the length of the consultation, and patients' satisfaction is investigated. Patients (n= 30) were randomized either to receive care as usual (control group) or to receive a prompt sheet (intervention group). All patients completed a baseline questionnaire, their consultations were audio-recorded and content-coded, and they received a structured telephone interview 2 days after the consultation to assess satisfaction. Patients provided with the prompt sheet marked a median of 19 questions. They asked significantly more questions as compared with patients in the control group (median of 12 vs. 8 questions). Questions mainly addressed treatment options and procedures. No differences were found with regard to consultation length and patient satisfaction. Our results suggest that providing patients with a simple, easy-to-implement tool such as a question prompt is appreciated and helps patients to ask more questions during the consultation without increasing the length of the consultation.
authors: Department of Medical Psychology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. e.m.smets@amc.uva.nl
authors: E M A
authors: EM
authors: Smets
authors: M
authors: M
authors: van Heijl
authors: A K S
authors: AK
authors: van Wijngaarden
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Henselmans
authors: M I
authors: MI
authors: van Berge Henegouwen
mesh_terms: D022126:Access to Information; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003142:Communication; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D057226:Information Seeking Behavior; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011788:Quality of Life