title: Factors associated with oncology patients' involvement in shared decision making during chemotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Oncology patients are increasingly encouraged to play an active role in treatment decision making. While previous studies have evaluated relationships between demographic characteristics and decision-making roles, less is known about the association of symptoms and psychological adjustment characteristics (eg, coping styles and personality traits) and decision-making roles.
  
  
  METHODS
  As part of a larger study of symptom clusters, patients (n = 765) receiving chemotherapy for breast, gastrointestinal, gynecological, or lung cancer provided information on demographic, clinical, symptom, and psychological adjustment characteristics. Patient-reported treatment decision-making roles (ie, preferred role and role actually played) were assessed using the Control Preferences Scale. Differences among patients, who were classified as passive, collaborative, or active, were evaluated using χ2analyses and analyses of variance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over half (56.3%) of the patients reported that they both preferred and actually played a collaborative role. Among those patients with concordant roles, those who were older, those with less education and lower income, and those who were less resilient were more likely to prefer a passive role. Several psychological adjustment characteristics were associated with decision-making role, including coping style, personality, and fatalism.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oncology patients' preferences for involvement in treatment decision making are associated with demographic characteristics as well as with symptoms and psychological adjustment characteristics, such as coping style and personality. These results reaffirm the complexities of predicting patients' preferences for involvement in decision making. Further study is needed to determine if role or coping style may be influenced by interventions designed to teach adaptive coping skills.
authors.affiliation: UC Berkeley-UC San Francisco Joint Medical Program, University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health, Berkeley, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Alexis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colley
authors.affiliation: UC Berkeley-UC San Francisco Joint Medical Program, University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health, Berkeley, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Jodi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Halpern
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.affiliation: UC Berkeley-UC San Francisco Joint Medical Program, University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health, Berkeley, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Micco
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Division of Biostatistics, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Maureen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lahiff
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
authors.forename: Fay
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Jon D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Judy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mastick
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Marilyn J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hammer
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Miaskowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Laura B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Dunn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D010358:Patient Participation; D057240:Patient Preference / Q000523:psychology*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations
keywords: cancer; chemotherapy; coping; oncology; personality; shared decision making