Do Patient Preferences Influence Surgeon Recommendations for Treatment?

ABSTRACT:

Background

When the best treatment option is uncertain, a patient's preference based on personal values should be the source of most variation in diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. Unexplained surgeon-to-surgeon variation in treatment for hand and upper extremity conditions suggests that surgeon preferences have more influence than patient preferences.

Methods

A total of 184 surgeons reviewed 18 fictional scenarios of upper extremity conditions for which operative treatment is discretionary and preference sensitive, and recommended either operative or non-operative treatment. To test the influence of six specific patient preferences the preference was randomly assigned to each scenario in an affirmative or negative manner. Surgeon characteristics were collected for ea

SUBMITTER: Smits LJH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6510925 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature