title: To Share or Not to Share: Malaysian Healthcare Professionals' Views on Localized Prostate Cancer Treatment Decision Making Roles.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the views of Malaysian healthcare professionals (HCPs) on stakeholders' decision making roles in localized prostate cancer (PCa) treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative interviews and focus groups were conducted with HCPs treating PCa. Data was analysed using a thematic approach. Four in-depth interviews and three focus group discussions were conducted between December 2012 and March 2013 using a topic guide. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed thematically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The participants comprised private urologists (n = 4), government urologists (n = 6), urology trainees (n = 6), government policy maker (n = 1) and oncologists (n = 3). HCP perceptions of the roles of the three parties involved (HCPs, patients, family) included: HCP as the main decision maker, HCP as a guide to patients' decision making, HCP as a facilitator to family involvement, patients as main decision maker and patient prefers HCP to decide. HCPs preferred to share the decision with patients due to equipoise between prostate treatment options. Family culture was important as family members often decided on the patient's treatment due to Malaysia's close-knit family culture.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A range of decision making roles were reported by HCPs. It is thus important that stakeholder roles are clarified during PCa treatment decisions. HCPs need to cultivate an awareness of sociocultural norms and family dynamics when supporting non-Western patients in making decisions about PCa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Yew Kong
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Ping Yein
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Ai Theng
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Cheong
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Chirk Jenn
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Khatijah Lim
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Abdullah
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Teng Aik
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Azad Hassan Abdul
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Razack
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D003657:Decision Making; D005190:Family; D017144:Focus Groups; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia; D008297:Male; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000379:methods*; D010358:Patient Participation; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D012107:Research Design; D014572:Urology / Q000379:methods*