title: Breast cancer patients' information seeking during surgical consultations: A qualitative, videotape-based analysis of patients' questions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite data on breast cancer patients' information needs and their association with patient outcomes, there are currently no data on what U.S. patients actually ask surgeons during primary consultations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Working from transcripts of videotaped, treatment decision making consultations between breast cancer patients and surgeons, we identify all questions (by patients and companions) and then use grounded theory techniques to determine the most recurrent question-asking themes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sample includes 132 recently diagnosed (M = 8.9 days), late-middle-aged (M = 61.2 years), female patients with predominantly early stage (0-1; 78%), first-time breast cancer (92.4%) consulting with one of nine surgeons in community based offices. Transcripts contained 2,781 questions (1,929 by patients, 852 by companions; Cohen's Kappa = 0.90), which generated 15 patient question asking themes that were represented (i.e., asked about) at least once in >20% of all consultations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Question asking themes are a concrete index of what patients want to know more about prior to treatment. Identified themes specify, modify, and extend prior findings based on self-report data. Findings potentially increase surgeons' levels of patient centered care by improving surgeons' abilities to satisfactorily address patients' information needs, which has the potential to improve both patient outcomes and clinical practice guidelines. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;114:922-929. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon.|Department of Radiation Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon.
authors.forename: Jeffrey D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: Purdue University, Brian Lamb School of Communication, West Lafayette, Indiana.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Venetis
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.|Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, College Station, Texas.
authors.forename: Richard L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Street
authors.affiliation: Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kearney
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D057226:Information Seeking Behavior; D016462:Mammaplasty; D008408:Mastectomy / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010358:Patient Participation; D018802:Patient-Centered Care; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D014743:Videotape Recording
keywords: breast cancer; communication; decision making; patient centered care; question asking; video