Information needs and preferences for participation in treatment decisionsamong Swedish breast cancer patients

Patient participation in treatment decisions presupposes well-informed pati ents. The purpose of this study was to determine Swedish breast cancer pati ents' information needs and their preferences for participation in treatmen t decisions. Patients (n=201) were interviewed on nine categories of inform ation and five patient roles, using paired comparisons. Patients gave prior ity to facts about disease and treatment (chances of cure, stage of disease , treatment options). A collaborative role in treatment decisions was prefe rred by 87% of the patients. Most patients (56%) preferred a passive form o f collaboration: I prefer that my doctor makes the final decision about my treatment but seriously considers my opinion. Younger and better educated p atients tended to prefer a more active role. Many patients wanted to be mor e active (20%) and some more passive (8%) than they actually were. Patients gave priority to disease-specific information, but this reflected needs ot her than taking control of treatment decisions.