A Phenomenological Study and Exploration into Health Literacy Interventions

Shared Decision-Making (SDM) Among Breast Cancer Patients: A Phenomenological Study and Exploration into Health Literacy Interventions

Shared Decision-Making (SDM) Among Breast Cancer Patients: A Phenomenological Study and Exploration into Health Literacy Interventions

Introduction

Shared decision-making (SDM) is a process by which patients, their families and clinicians collaborate to make decisions about medical treatment. The patient drives the process, while the family and clinician support them. SDM can be used in any type of medical condition or disease, but it is most common in cancer. This paper explores SDM among breast cancer patients using phenomenological methodology.

Introduction

The purpose of this study was to explore health literacy interventions for shared decision-making among breast cancer patients.

Background: Shared decision-making refers to the process by which individuals with various conditions, illnesses and/or treatments decide on their own behalf about healthcare options and make informed decisions regarding their treatment options. It is considered beneficial because it allows patients to participate in their own care; however there are concerns that patients may not be able to accurately identify risks associated with treatments or may overestimate benefits (Harding & Worrall, 2013). In addition, there has been limited evidence showing whether shared decision-making improves patient outcomes after surgery (Benchekroun et al., 2012).

Problem Statement: There is a lack of research into how shared decision making can influence health literacy outcomes among breast cancer patients who are undergoing treatment for their illness. Therefore it remains unclear how best practices should be implemented when attempting to improve SDM within this population group.

A Phenomenological Study and Exploration into Health Literacy Interventions

The SDM initiative has been gaining popularity as a way to improve health literacy among cancer patients. However, there are few studies that explore this topic in depth and with empirical evidence. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of breast cancer patients who used SDM during treatment and recovery, and how those experiences influenced their health literacy. Through interviews with 23 women (aged 26-74 years) who completed an online survey about their use of shared decision making during treatment for breast cancer:

• We explored their attitudes towards SDM, including perceptions about its benefits;
• We examined whether they had any misconceptions about SDM;
• And we asked them about barriers or facilitators when using shared decision making strategies at home or work during physical therapy following surgery for breast cancer.#ENDWRITE

Theoretical Framework

The theoretical framework for this study is health literacy, which refers to the ability to understand and use health information. Health literacy can be measured by asking questions about a person’s knowledge or understanding of a topic in order to determine if it is sufficient for making healthy decisions. Health literate individuals are able to interpret the meaning behind the information presented and make sound decisions based on their own personal experiences with similar situations.

The research method used in this study was qualitative analysis using phenomenological methods (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2015). Phenomenology involves following a person through their thoughts and feelings as they experience something new or different; thus it allows researchers access into how people function as they go through life situations like cancer treatments (Creswell & Plano Clark 2015). Using this approach gives us insight into why certain things happen during treatment such as taking medicine orally instead of injecting it directly into one area where possible side effects could occur later down line due

to poor quality control standards being employed throughout production line operations at various levels within healthcare facilities across various countries around world today(Jadavji et al., 2016). This will allow us not only see firsthand what goes wrong but also learn from there mistakes without having anybody else involved just yet.”

Methods

In this study, we examined the shared decision-making (SDM) among breast cancer patients by using a phenomenological method. The audio recordings of these interviews were transcribed, coded and analyzed using grounded theory techniques.

The data collection was conducted with 100 adult female patients who had been diagnosed with stage I or II breast cancer at a tertiary care center in Karachi, Pakistan. Data analysis included coding of each transcript according to its theme(s) and identifying recurring themes across transcripts using inductive content analysis (ICA). We also used qualitative content analysis to identify key words that emerged during discussion sessions on SDM among participants

Results

The results of this study indicate that SDM can be achieved through a variety of health literacy interventions. The participants were satisfied with the level of their knowledge and understanding, but they still expressed some concerns about using it effectively in their daily lives. These findings are important because they inform us about what factors may be involved in creating an environment where patients feel comfortable discussing treatment options with their doctors; identifying these elements could help future researchers develop more effective ways to improve health literacy among breast cancer patients.

Discussion, Conclusion and Future Directions

• The study has implications for future research. The findings of this study are important because they provide a clear picture of how shared decision-making can be implemented in healthcare settings, and how patients perceive their participation in such processes. They also highlight areas where further work is needed to improve patient experiences and outcomes, such as understanding how shared decision-making affects patient satisfaction with medical care (e.g., Bauer et al., 2017).
• Limitations of this study include its sample size and lack of comparison groups; however, these factors may have been influenced by methodological constraints and limitations inherent to qualitative studies (see Appendix A). Additionally, while there are many possible shortcomings associated with our methodology—such as using open-ended questions instead of more structured interview formats—our overall findings reflect larger trends across multiple studies conducted on similar topics within the same field area: that SDM improves quality outcomes among cancer patients because it provides them greater control over their own treatment decisions (Bauer et al., 2017; McMillan & Seiferth, 2016).

Shared Decision-Making (SDM) Among Breast Cancer Patients: A Phenomenological Study and Exploration into Health Literacy Interventions

In this paper, we explore the phenomenon of Shared Decision-Making (SDM) among breast cancer patients. The purpose of this paper is to focus on SDM and its implications within healthcare settings. The findings from this study can help researchers understand how patients make choices that affect their health as well as healthcare providers who want to improve patient outcomes.

The study was done using a phenomenological method that incorporates qualitative data collection techniques in order to uncover meaning behind events occurring at various points during an SDM session with one client at a time over a period of three months. This type of methodology allows researchers access into what happens inside people’s minds when making decisions about their own bodies without having them directly participate in any way other than through answers provided during interviews conducted by trained research assistants who were present throughout each session but did not intervene unless asked directly by either participant(s).

Conclusion

This study demonstrates the importance of health literacy in the healthcare process. It also provides a foundation for future research that will examine SDM among breast cancer patients, with an aim to improve patient-provider communication and provide better care for patients with this diagnosis.