Abstract
Background: Improved treatment decision making has been suggested as a strategy to increase use of adjuvant systemic breast cancer therapies. However, few interventions address this issue particularly in black patients. The study objective was to assess the feasibility of delivering a patient education intervention to improve treatment decision making.
Methods: Seventy-six women with histologically confirmed breast cancer were recruited from the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. After a baseline telephone interview, women received an in-person educational session with a trained breast cancer survivor (survivor coach). The coach used a culturally appropriate guidebook and decision-making model TALK Back!SM, which instructs breast cancer patients to Tell your story, Ask questions, Listen actively, and Know your treatment options. After the session, patients were recontacted to assess their acceptability of the intervention and self-reported outcomes.
Results: Most (87%) found the intervention acceptable. After the intervention, participants reported: increased treatment knowledge (79%), better self-efficacy in communicating with providers (70%), and increased self-efficacy in making treatment decisions (57%). Compared to baseline scores, post-intervention communication with providers significantly increased (p<.05).
Conclusions: These findings support the feasibility and acceptability of intervening with this population. Testing the impact of this intervention on decision outcomes and treatment adherence using RCTs or similar designs will be important next steps.
Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2010;19(10 Suppl):A27.
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