Working toward Personalized Intervention Advice: A Survey Study on Preference Heterogeneity in Patients with Breast...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Patient-centered care
• Health psychology

Background:

• Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) significantly impacts breast cancer survivors' quality of life.
• Numerous interventions exist for managing CRF, but patient preferences are often overlooked.
• Tailoring interventions to individual patient preferences is key for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore preference heterogeneity among breast cancer survivors regarding attributes of CRF interventions.
• To identify specific between-attribute and within-attribute preferences.
• To develop decision rules for matching patient preferences to suitable interventions.

Main Methods:

• A survey involving 67 breast cancer survivors was conducted.
• Best-worst scaling was used to determine preferences for nine intervention attributes.
• Between-attribute and within-attribute preferences, and their heterogeneity, were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Significant heterogeneity was found in survivors' preferences for CRF intervention attributes.
• Cost, proven effectiveness, and intervention type were highly ranked attributes.
• Only 19% of participants shared the most common preference pattern, highlighting significant diversity.

Conclusions:

• Patient preferences for CRF interventions are highly heterogeneous.
• Simple decision rules can effectively link diverse preferences to interventions.
• Personalized intervention advice is essential for enhancing patient engagement and outcomes.