Table Box 1.

 The impossibility of a reasoned decision

Patients described several reasons why they were unable to assimilate information about the test:

Being too shocked to take in what they were told

Whether I realised what I was saying when I signed that consent form I don’t know, because it was just sort of a whirr, my husband wasn’t very well at the time, we were both shocked… It was just I don’t, like a bad dream really … So I really can’t say I thought rationally about it at all. (P13)

Denying the seriousness of the diagnosis

All the telling me what it was and all that, just didn’t register with me at all …It didn’t hit me’ til weeks later … You only pick up on certain things don’t you when they say um, you just shut off don’t you. (P8)

Being too anxious or upset

Well I think I signed some consent forms for tests and things like that if I remember rightly... To be honest with you, I was in a bit of a, how should I put it, I were in a bit of a, I was a little bit afraid. I didn’t notice a lot, to be honest. (P10)