Physician-Patient Communication About Breast Cancer-Related Internet Information and Its Effect on Patient Satisfaction and Anxiety

Summary

The purpose of this study is to learn about how patients who have looked up cancer-related information on the internet talk with their doctors. We are interested in these conversations even if the patients do not think they will talk about the information with their doctor during their visit. We will audio record doctor-patient visits and listen to these recordings to learn about how patients who have looked up cancer-related internet information talk to their doctors and how their doctors talk to them. We will also give patients questionnaires before and after their appointments to learn about what they think about communicating with their doctors.

Conditions

• Breast Cancer

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

questionnaires

Patients in Category 1 are those who report before the visit that they intend to discuss cancer-related internet information and report after the visit that they did discuss such information. The coding of these patients' consultations with their physicians and analysis of their pre- and post-consultation questionnaires will address Aims 1 and 2.

BEHAVIORAL

audio recordings , questionnaires

Patients in Category 2 are those who report before the visit that they intend to discuss cancer-related internet information, but report after the visit that they did not discuss such information. This category is important as our previous research indicates that sometimes patients do not discuss information because they feel there is not enough time or because the information is irrelevant or repetitive. These patients' audio recordings will be checked to verify that there was no internet information discussion. These audio recordings will not be coded. However, assessment of these patients' questionnaires will aid in addressing Aim 3 and may provide some pilot data on why patients who initially intend to discuss internet information do not.

BEHAVIORAL

audio recorded questionnaires

Patients in Category 3 are those who report before the visit that they do not intend to discuss cancer-related internet information and do not discuss it. Assessment of these patients' questionnaires will aid in addressing Aim 3. These audio recordings will not be coded. It is important, however, that these consultations be audio recorded for two reasons: First, it allows the physician to remain blinded to the intent of the patient to discuss internet information. Second, it provides a method of verifying that the patient really did not discuss internet information. Although not expected, it is possible for a patient to go into a consultation without intending to discuss internet information, but does end up discussing it. We will note if this occurs.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institutes of Health (NIH)

  collaborator NIH

• National Cancer Institute (NCI)

  collaborator NIH

• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Smita Banerjee, PhD · Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Eligibility

Min Age

21 Years

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2008-06-30

Primary Completion

2015-02-28

Completion

2015-02-28

Countries

• United States

Study Locations