Effects of Alternative Decision Support Technologies on Breast Cancer Patients' Knowledge of Options and Satisfaction With Treatment Decisions

摘要

The objectives of the research were to (1) develop an innovative CDSS that will enable women to integrate the information available to them, understand diagnoses, treatment options, and risks associated with treatment options, construct and structure their preferences, and make important health decisions, and (2) assess the impact of the new CDSS by making it available to women newly diagnosed with breast cancer and comparing it with existing technology (the Internet) and a control group is a carefully designed experiment. The assessment of the impact was made in terms of understanding of diagnoses, treatment options, and risks associated with treatment options, satisfaction with decisions made, amount of involvement in decision, compliance with decision, change in health status and change in quality of life. Specifically, we compared two types of decision support technologies to a control group: 1. CHESS: a new CDSS designed specifically to meet breast cancer patients' needs: 2. Internet: the rapidly proliferating Internet technology; 3. Control: standard patient education along with one of three books on breast cancer or a set of audiotapes produced by the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship.