PATIENT PARTICIPATION IN THE CANCER CONSULTATION - EVALUATION OF A QUESTION PROMPT SHEET

Background: Active participation and asking questions are important wa ys in which patients can ensure they understand what the doctor has sa id. This study evaluated a question prompt sheet designed to encourage patients to ask questions in the cancer consultation. Patients and me thods: Patients (n = 142) were randomised to receive (i) a question pr ompt sheet or (ii) a general sheet informing patients of services avai lable through the regional Cancer Council. Recall of information was a ssessed in a structured interview 4-20 days after the consultation. Qu estionnaires to assess patient satisfaction and adjustment to cancer w ere sent by mail. Results: The question prompt sheet had a significant effect in one content area: prognosis. Thirty-five percent of patient s who received the question handout asked questions about prognosis co mpared to 16% of those receiving the information handout. The prompt s heet did not increase the mean number of questions asked overall. Age, in/out-patient status, gender and involvement preference were predict ive of both number and duration of patient questions. Conclusions: A q uestion prompt sheet has a limited but important effect on patient que stion asking behaviour in the cancer consultation.