MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Kenneth L. Kehl, MD
Division of Cancer Medicine, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, Texas
Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Prior studies have demonstrated that most patients with cancer wish to participate in their treatment decisions. We studied a cohort of patients with lung or colorectal cancer and assessed whether patient involvement in decision-making was associated with perceived quality of care or ratings of physician communication. We found that patients who described a more
shared decision-making process gave higher ratings of their care quality and physician communication. This effect was independent of patients' stated preferences regarding involvement in decision-making.
