Table 4.
Decision-Making Factor | Importance Rating* (by age group) | Difference | 95% CI | P | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Entire Sample | 65-74 | ≥ 75 | |||||||
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | ||||
No. of patients | 300 | 154 | 146 | ||||||
Endorsement source | |||||||||
Primary oncologist | 299 | 99.7 | 153 | 99.4 | 146 | 100 | −0.6 | −1.9 to 0.6 | .99 |
Nurse who treats patients with the experimental therapy | 278 | 92.7 | 146 | 94.8 | 132 | 90.4 | 4.4 | −1.5 to 10.3 | .14 |
Spouse/partner | 201 | 67.0 | 110 | 71.4 | 91 | 62.3 | 9.1 | −1.5 to 19.7 | .09 |
Family | 208 | 69.3 | 112 | 72.7 | 96 | 65.8 | 7.0 | −3.5 to 17.4 | .19 |
Another patient who has received the experimental therapy | 248 | 82.7 | 130 | 84.4 | 118 | 80.8 | 3.6 | −5.0 to 12.2 | .41 |
Someone you know personally who has received the experimental therapy | 248 | 82.7 | 132 | 85.7 | 116 | 79.5 | 6.3 | −2.3 to 14.8 | .15 |
Information from the Internet | 96 | 32.0 | 60 | 39.0 | 36 | 24.7 | 14.3 | 3.9 to 24.7 | .008 |
Possible benefit from treatment | |||||||||
Shrinks tumor | 298 | 99.3 | 153 | 99.4 | 145 | 99.3 | 0.0 | −1.8 to 1.9 | .99 |
Better symptoms | 296 | 98.7 | 151 | 98.1 | 145 | 99.3 | −1.3 | −3.8 to 1.3 | .62 |
Live longer | 296 | 98.7 | 153 | 99.4 | 143 | 98.0 | 1.4 | −1.2 to 4.0 | .36 |
Stabilizes tumor | 296 | 98.7 | 152 | 98.7 | 144 | 98.6 | 0.1 | −2.5 to 2.7 | .99 |
Impact of treatment on social and role functioning | |||||||||
Needs more care from friends or family | 248 | 82.7 | 130 | 84.4 | 118 | 80.8 | 3.6 | −5.0 to 12.2 | .41 |
Unable to do the things one enjoys | 232 | 77.3 | 122 | 79.2 | 110 | 75.3 | 3.9 | −5.6 to 13.4 | .42 |
Unable to take care of spouse or family members | 193 | 64.3 | 104 | 67.5 | 89 | 61.0 | 6.6 | −4.3 to 17.4 | .23 |
Unable to work | 21 | 7.0 | 14 | 9.1 | 7 | 4.8 | 4.3 | −1.4 to 10.0 | .14 |
* Very important + somewhat important versus not important + other.