| This study investigated cancer patients' active involvement in their cancer care, their information-related preferences and behaviors, the extent to which they share cancer-related information with their health care provider, and whether having information to share leads to perceptions of increased participation in their cancer care. A questionnaire was mailed to callers to the Mid-West Region Cancer Information Service (CIS) who agreed to participate in the study and who had been diagnosed with cancer. Results reveal a general tendency among the participants for active participation, a general desire to be involved in decision making and a strong preference for being informed about their cancer. While generally satisfied with the information received from their doctors, they also seek information from many other sources and they consider that information to have more positive than negative effects on them. The study's biggest contribution to the literature is its investigation of whether patients mention the information they have found to their doctor, their perceptions of their doctor's reaction, and their assessment of whether they felt they participated more when they had information to share; the results reveal that information sharing occurs among all participants, although to varying extents, and that doctors' reactions were generally positive. Most importantly, most participants felt as though they participated more than usual when they had information to share, suggesting a critical link between having information and taking an active role in one's cancer care. |
