Decision-making consultations are extensively evaluated with relation to clinician performance. Such consultations are pivotal in negotiating preference sensitive care, particularly with conditions that are widely diagnosed such as prostate cancer. Research has examined treatment preferences and information sources, however, less attention focusses on prostate cancer patients' perspectives of clinical communications in which they participate.
A template analysis was conducted on data from four focus groups (comprising a total of 39 participants aged between 54 and 78 years). A-priori themes relating to patients’ perceptions of clinician conversation were explored. Furthermore, an inductive thematic analysis was conducted to establish emergent issues.
Template analysis revealed minimal knowledge of prostate cancer treatment options and decision aids, with most experiences referring to surgical consultants. An inductive thematic analysis revealed additional themes: “use of existing and suggested terminology” and "difficulty of post consultation recollections". The decision-making process was further distributed as participants reported asking peers to refute or confirm decisions already made with a clinician. In conclusion, research should continue to address the complexity of treatment discussions for prostate cancer patients, to maximise their preparedness for such interactions