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Personalizing choices: patients' experiences with making treatment decisions
1Department of Nursing, Edgewood College, Madison WI 53711, USA.
Research in Nursing & Health
|June 1, 1997
Summary
Patients facing life-threatening illnesses personalize treatment decisions based on their life stories and self-perception. Understanding these patient perspectives is key for developing better health communication strategies.
Area of Science:
- Health Psychology
- Medical Sociology
- Patient-Centered Care
Background:
- Limited understanding of patient decision-making in life-threatening situations.
- Need to explore patient perspectives in critical health choices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the process of health care decision-making from the patient's viewpoint.
- To understand how patients perceive making treatment choices under severe conditions.
Main Methods:
- Grounded theory approach.
- Semi-structured interviews with 18 patients (heart disease, renal failure, cancer) post-decision and 1 month later.
Main Results:
- Patient treatment decisions are personalized, aligning with their life narratives and self-concept.
- Individual life stories significantly influence health care choices in critical illness.
Conclusions:
- Patient decisions are deeply integrated with personal identity and life context.
- Findings inform the creation of tailored interaction and educational strategies for patients with serious health conditions.