JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Informing patients with cancer about the possible implications of treatment for their wellbeing is a crucial yet challenging task. To derive benefit from information, patients need to be able to remember what their oncologist told them during the medical encounter, to be satisfied about the information delivery, and to experience less symptom distress as a result thereof. Unfortunately, patients’ recall of medical information is generally poor and their information needs are not met. Information giving might be more effective if oncologists provide information in a structured way and tailored to patients’ information needs, while fostering a caring and trusting physician-patient relationship.

Objective:

This paper describes the preparatory work and study protocol for two randomized controlled experiments which aim to systematically test the effects of information structuring and information tailoring, combined with physician caring, on information recall, satisfaction, trust in the oncologist and expected symptom distress in patients with malignant lymphoma.

Methods:

Both experiments use a video vignette design and are set within the context of hematology. In experiment 1, hematologists’ information structuring and expressions of caring are varied in a 2 (standard versus enhanced structuring) x 2 (standard versus enhanced caring) design. In experiment 2, information tailoring and expressions of caring are varied in a 2 (match between need-for-information and amount of information vs mismatch between need-for-information and amount of information ) x 2 (standard versus enhanced caring) design. In each experiment, participants are asked to complete a baseline survey (T0), view one randomly allocated video vignette (out of 12), and then fill out a survey comprising the outcome variables (T1). Hence, participants act as ‘analogue patients’, i.e., they are individuals with experience with cancer consultations, either as a patient or relative, who will view and evaluate a video vignette while imagining themselves to be the patient in the video. Participants (n=420) will be recruited via a patient panel and cancer patient support organizations.

Results:

Preparatory work encompassed the development and testing of the video-vignettes and survey.

Conclusions:

The results of the proposed experiments will provide evidence concerning the pathways linking physician information giving skills to (improved) consultation outcomes for patients. Clinical Trial: This study is registered in the Netherlands Trial Register (NTR6153).