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The Surgeon-Patient Interaction in Older Women With Breast Cancer: What Are the Determinants of a Helpful Discussion?

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Abstract

Background

Surgery is a key modality in the treatment of breast cancer. The patient-physician interaction is a key determinant of a range of outcomes, but there is little work examining the surgeon–breast cancer patient interaction. We analyzed data from 240 women with a new breast cancer diagnosis to better understand this interaction and to delineate the patient, surgeon, and surgeon-patient interaction-level characteristics affecting this interaction.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Los Angeles County of 240 women with a new breast cancer diagnosis aged ≥55 years. Women were asked to rate on a scale of 0 to 10 how helpful overall the way their surgeon discussed their breast cancer with them was. Logistic regression models were constructed to assess the relationship of patient, surgeon, and surgeon-patient interaction characteristics to the outcome variable.

Results

Forty-four percent of women said that they found the way their surgeon discussed their breast cancer with them extremely helpful. Women with a higher level of perceived self-efficacy, a longer consultation time with the surgeon, a higher interactive information-giving score, and a higher participatory decision-making score had significantly higher odds of reporting the discussion to be “extremely helpful.”

Conclusions

Our results indicate that strategies to improve the patient’s perceived self-efficacy (preparing questions beforehand, practicing, watching a role model, and so on) will improve the surgeon-patient discussion. At a systems level, adequate time should be budgeted for the consultation, and we must ensure that adequate communication skills are imparted to surgeons during their educational training.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Family Medicine and Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, 245-100 Collip Circle, London, Ontario, N6G 4X8, Canada

    Amardeep Thind MD, PhD

  2. Department of Family Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Box 957087, 10880 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1800, Los Angeles, California, 90095-7087

    Rose Maly MD, MSPH

Authors
  1. Amardeep Thind MD, PhD
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  2. Rose Maly MD, MSPH
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Correspondence to Amardeep Thind MD, PhD.

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Thind, A., Maly, R. The Surgeon-Patient Interaction in Older Women With Breast Cancer: What Are the Determinants of a Helpful Discussion?. Ann Surg Oncol 13, 788–793 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1245/ASO.2006.07.026

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1245/ASO.2006.07.026

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