Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40065302›Full record

ArticleBMC medical informatics and decision making2025

Development of a generic decision guide for patients in oncology: a qualitative interview study.

Lia Schilling, Jana Kaden, Isabel Bán, Birte Berger-Höger, TARGET group

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical informatics and decision making, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Lia SchillingInstitute for Public Health and Nursing Research, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany. lia.schilling@uni-bremen.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0001-9607-7808
Jana KadenInstitute for Public Health and Nursing Research, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0938-1343
Isabel BánInstitute for Public Health and Nursing Research, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
Birte Berger-HögerInstitute for Public Health and Nursing Research, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4704-4401
TARGET group

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMany patients with cancer want to be involved in healthcare decisions. For adequate participation, awareness of one's own desires and preferences and sufficient knowledge about medical measures are indispensable. In order to support patient participation, a decision guide for patients with cancer was developed as part of a larger project called TARGET, which specifically aims to improve the care of patients with rare cancer.

methodsThe development of the decision guide took place from 08.2022 to 03.2023. The decision guide is a single component of a complex intervention that aims to facilitate decision support in cancer care for patients. For the development, existing development and evaluation studies of Question Prompt Lists (QPLs) were identified through systematic literature searches in the MEDLINE via PubMed, PsycInfo, and CINAHL databases. The decision guide was pre-tested for feasibility, usability, completeness and acceptance with the target groups through guided individual interviews. Sociodemographic data were collected anonymously. An expert review was conducted. The verbatim transcribed interviews were analysed using content analysis according to Kuckartz with MAXQDA. The guide has been iteratively optimized based on the results.

resultsA generic decision guide for patients with cancer for diagnostic or treatment decisions was developed in both PDF web-based formats, based on the Ottawa Personal Decision Guide. It was supplemented with decision-related questions from QPLs for patients with cancer. The pre-test comprised seven expert reviews of (psych)oncologists and experts in evidence-based health information and ten interviews with cancer patients (n = 7), family relatives (n = 2), and one caregiver. The results were coded into nine main categories. The results indicated a good feasibility, usability and acceptability of the guide. The tool was perceived as comprehensive and appropriate. Individual elements were identified as modifiable for better comprehensibility. The target audience appreciated the decision guide as a good support option.

conclusionThe decision guide is potentially a useful support option for patients with cancer facing medical decisions in their further course of treatment. In the TARGET project, it will be made available to patients and can be supplemented with decision coaching. Further steps for implementation into healthcare structures are necessary. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.

Indexed as

Decision Support TechniquesMedical OncologyNeoplasmsPatient ParticipationAdultAgedFemaleHumansInterviews as TopicMaleMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchDecision support interventionsGuidanceInformed choiceOncologyPatient participationShared decision-making

Identifiers

PMID40065302
PMCPMC11895154

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.