Table 2.
Patients’ expectations
| Total n = 285a | Second opinion (SO) n = 174 | Tertiary referral (TR) n = 111 | Difference SO − TR (p) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expectations (%) | 0.87 | |||
| Explanation | 26% | 28% | 23% | |
| Confirmation of diagnosis or treatment | 7% | 6% | 10% | |
| New diagnosis/treatment | 60% | 59% | 62% | |
| Otherb | 7% | 8% | 5% | |
| Anticipation that expectations will be fulfilled (mean VAS ± SD) | 6.5 (±2.3) | 6.5 (±2.4) | 6.6 (±2.1) | 0.87 |
SO second opinion, TR tertiary referral, VAS visual analogue scale, SD standard deviation
aMissing data from nine patients: incomplete questionnaires
bOther, e.g. ‘getting rid of the pain’