Table 4.

Actions described for each CPS response option

Actions described by men	Exemplar quotes
Responses A & B (active role)
Patient does own research Patient wants control over own body	It’s my body, my decision. I’m going to make the final choice.
Patient may or may not seek doctor’s expertise Patient offers preferences to the doctor	A is when a patient thinks it is irrelevant what doctor thinks, does what he wants because “I know what’s best for me and don’t care what anyone else thinks.
Patient makes the treatment decision (possibly against doctor’s recommendation; possibly choosing doctor after making decision)	Obviously I have to get a doctor to do the procedure, I can’t do it myself.
Doctor offers options, not opinions Doctor agrees after patient decides	In B the patient says “doc, what do you think? what is my best shot?” then combines with the other research (books etc) and makes own decision but “puts a lot of weight or emphasis on doc’s opinion” [field note]
Response C (shared role)
Patient does own research Doctor offers options, possibly opinions Patient offers preferences, wishes to doctor	The doctor has opinions, the patient does research and “brings that to the table,” the doctor considers patient preferences around side effects, etc, the two “come to common ground.” [field note]
Doctor/patient shared action	This is kind of what I did. I read, brought myself up to speed, so he and I understand each other and we share equally in the decision. Doctor says, “We’ll work together.”
Responses D & E (passive role)
Patient leaves choice to doctor	[Patient says,] “Just tell me what you’re going to do to me and I’ll do it.”
Patient has trust/faith in doctor	[Doctor says,] “this is what we’re going to do.”
Patient offers preferences to doctor Doctor may or may not elicit patient preferences Doctor offers a strong opinion Doctor makes treatment decision (possibly rejecting patient’s preference)	I ran into two doctors like this. They were like, here’s what you’ve got, here’s what we’re going to do, and would have been more than happy to operate on me right there. In fact, if I had listened to them I would have had surgery weeks ago. They did not ask my opinion.