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Researchers evaluate decision aids for patient's choice of localised prostate cancer treatment

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Posted 3/31/2015 12:20 PM (GMT 0)
Found this today - great discussion on the value of a patient being informed about the options, and of the importance of this being a shared decision between patient and medical professionals.

Here's the link:

www.news-medical.net/news/20150330/Researchers-evaluate-decision-aids-for-patients-choice-of-localised-prostate-cancer-treatment.aspx

Lots of good stuff in this.

"Shared decision-making isn't easy, and clinicians need help."

"The doctor must reach an agreement with the patient when making treatment decisions. However, truly shared decision-making is possible only when the patient understands what the different treatment options entail for him personally, and the doctor understands the patient's personal situation and desires.

"Such truly shared decision-making is a relatively new phenomenon in medicine. Traditionally we assumed that the doctor always knows best," says Kari Tikkinen, Academy of Finland clinical researcher and adjunct professor of clinical epidemiology from the Department of Urology at the Helsinki University Hospital."

This is something that I have been very vocal about in my own life as I work with my medical support team towards a healthy life - being educated, informed and my own best advocate.
Posted 4/2/2015 3:57 PM (GMT 0)

A Yooper said...

This is something that I have been very vocal about in my own life as I work with my medical support team towards a healthy life - being educated, informed and my own best advocate.



I couldn't agree more with this.


This is a huge issue for men with newly diagnosed low-risk prostate cancer (the largest segment of newly diagnosed men with PC have low-risk cases).

Many men hear the word "cancer" and immediately think they are going to die if they don't take immediate aggressive action, and so they don't take the TIME necessary to educate and inform themselves about the very unique reality about low-risk PC.

This decision making "rush" and lack of education about PC is seen as the biggest barrier which prevents greater up-take of Active Surveillance. Quick emotion-based decisions prevent low-risk men from taking advantage of the unique benefit they possess of TIME; quick treatment-based decisions prevent them from being exposed to the knowledge that one only gains with TIME to allow an evidence-based decision.


Any post/link like this which helps awareness among low-risk newcomers about educating, informing and advocating themselves is welcomed...
Posted 4/2/2015 5:30 PM (GMT 0)
Great post and well needed. Shared decision making SHOULD be a big part of the journey to PCa wellness, but sadly, it isn't always the case. Let's be honest, some doctors are pushy, and some patients aren't willing to do thier own research. I was very lucky to find the right uro and the right RO. It happened because I made it happen.

Thanks for the post Yooper!

Mike
Posted 4/3/2015 3:35 AM (GMT 0)
I agree and if it would not have been for this forum I would have not considered options other than surgery, because that is what the urologist that I was seeing did. He was a surgeon and that what surgeons do. I can still remember him saying matter of fact 'well we have a little tumor that we have to deal with." Then was asking when I wanted to schedule surgery. I'm glad I saw second and third doctors with different points of view and options. It doesn't matter what you finally decide is best for you. This can be a life changer for some, and you should be making your decision knowing the good, the bad, the ugly about each choice that is available and to know what might be best for you. I appreciated the doctors that I saw that took the time to answer all my questions and present information to me in an unbiased way, that would help me make decisions.

Post Edited (Gleason 6) : 4/2/2015 9:38:16 PM (GMT-6)

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