What else could I have done? Patients' responses to failed treatment decisions

Successful and failed renal transplant patients were compared concerning their perceptions of the initial decision to undergo transplantation. Results suggest that, relative to successful transplant patients, failed transplant patients recalled the circumstances of the initial decision in a manner that lessened personal responsibility for that decision. In essence, they indicated that they had had little choice but to make the decision they had made. There was slight evidence that failed transplant patients diffused responsibility for the decision or its outcome onto others. Implications for patient involvement in medical decision making and for the informed consent procedure are discussed. It is concluded that cognitive factors may play a role in undermining possible self-recrimination following failed treatment decisions in which a patient has been involved.