TY - JOUR
T1 - Why do newly diagnosed breast cancer patients seek a second opinion? – Second opinion seeking and its association with the physician-patient relationship
AU - Cecon, Natalia
AU - Hillen, Marij A.
AU - Pfaff, Holger
AU - Dresen, Antje
AU - Groß, Sophie E.
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - Objective: To examine breast cancer patients’ reasons to seek a second opinion (SO) and the underlying variables. To find out more about the outcome of the SO, the perceived helpfulness and the effect on the physician-patient relationship. Methods: In 2017, 4626 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients from 86 hospitals in Germany completed a postoperative mail survey (response rate = 89.04%). Data from 419 SO-seeking patients was obtained and analyzed by conducting logistic regression and non-parametric group comparisons. Results: Reasons to seek an SO were mostly unrelated to the physician-patient relationship. Reasons related to the physician-patient-relationship were associated with a lower education level. The SO mostly (72.2%) equaled the first opinion. A different treatment plan recommendation (25%) reportedly affected the patients’ relationship with their primary physician. Patients who received a different diagnosis reported more fear of progression. Most patients found the SO helpful. Conclusion: The reasons to seek an SO are primarily unrelated to the physician-patient relationship. However, less educated patients seem to have different reasons to seek an SO. These reasons were reportedly associated with the physician-patient relationship. Practice implications: Physicians may need to explicitly ascertain the patient's needs within the physician-patient communication to avoid inequalities based on patient education.
AB - Objective: To examine breast cancer patients’ reasons to seek a second opinion (SO) and the underlying variables. To find out more about the outcome of the SO, the perceived helpfulness and the effect on the physician-patient relationship. Methods: In 2017, 4626 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients from 86 hospitals in Germany completed a postoperative mail survey (response rate = 89.04%). Data from 419 SO-seeking patients was obtained and analyzed by conducting logistic regression and non-parametric group comparisons. Results: Reasons to seek an SO were mostly unrelated to the physician-patient relationship. Reasons related to the physician-patient-relationship were associated with a lower education level. The SO mostly (72.2%) equaled the first opinion. A different treatment plan recommendation (25%) reportedly affected the patients’ relationship with their primary physician. Patients who received a different diagnosis reported more fear of progression. Most patients found the SO helpful. Conclusion: The reasons to seek an SO are primarily unrelated to the physician-patient relationship. However, less educated patients seem to have different reasons to seek an SO. These reasons were reportedly associated with the physician-patient relationship. Practice implications: Physicians may need to explicitly ascertain the patient's needs within the physician-patient communication to avoid inequalities based on patient education.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=85058622470&origin=inward
UR - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30581013
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2018.12.017
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2018.12.017
M3 - Article
C2 - 30581013
SN - 0738-3991
VL - 102
SP - 998
EP - 1004
JO - Patient Education and Counseling
JF - Patient Education and Counseling
IS - 5
ER -