Development and Testing of a Patient Decision Aid to Support Women with Early-Stage Breast Cancer in Treatment Decisions

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to develop and test a decision-making support tool to help women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer choose their treatment. The project involves 170 patients and 30 clinicians, including oncologists, surgeons, psychologists, radiologists, and nurses, working together to improve patient knowledge, symptom management, communication with doctors, and reduce hospital costs. The study is patient-centered and includes two prospective parts: one with previously treated patients and another with newly diagnosed patients. The study includes three groups: healthcare professionals participating in interviews, patients who receive the final Patient Decision Aid (PDA) tool and complete questionnaires, and control patients who complete questionnaires only. Newly diagnosed patients will complete questionnaires online at three time points: one week, one month, and three months after their first consultation. The development and testing of the PDA tool follow a multi-step approach with specific objectives for each phase. Participants will be assessed using various questionnaires and tools such as AttrakDiff, SUS satisfaction survey for PDA, PHQ-9, STAI, SDMQ9, Distress thermometer, and quality of life measures EORTC-QLQ.C30 and EORTC-QLQ-BR23. The study will monitor the impact of the PDA on doctor-patient communication and shared decision-making. The total study duration includes multiple assessments over three months, with qualitative and quantitative evaluations to measure outcomes and patient engagement.

A New Tool to Promote Patient's Engagement in Their Healthcare Process