Survey of Patients' and Physicians' Attitudes Toward Explanations by Physicians at Initial Treatment Selection for Advanced or Recurrent Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: Gaps Observed Between Patients' Wishes and Physicians' Perceptions

<p>Objective. To clarify the actual situation of explanations provided by physicians at initial treatment selection and the perceptions of patients with advanced or recurrent non-small cell lung cancer along with those of the treating physicians. Methods. Separate web-based surveys were conducted among patients and physicians. Summary statistics were calculated for each question. Results. Responses were obtained from 182 patients (median age, 55 years; 64% were female) and 217 physicians. The difference in perceptions between patients and physicians was observed. The percentages of patients who answered "strongly agree" or "agree" on a 5-point Likert scale to the survey items of "Patients want to receive an explanation of treatment options to increase their understanding", "Patients want to know about possible future treatment options to gain hope and a positive outlook", and "Patients want to make an informed decision about their treatment to avoid regret", respectively, were 96%, 95%, and 95%, which were higher than the physicians' responses (79%, 79%, and 73%). In contrast, the percentages of patients who answered "strongly agree" or "agree" to the survey items of "Listening to various piece of information increases the mental burden for patients" and "Patients cannot understand even if they receive an explanation" respectively, were 24% and 11%, which were lower than the physicians' responses (50% and 46%). Conclusion. The survey results showed that patients want to understand their treatment options and make their own choice more than physicians expected. To ensure patients do not regret their treatment decisions, efforts to promote shared treatment decision-making between physicians and patients are necessary.</p>