A Cross-Sectional Study of Stress and the Perceived Style of Decision-Making in Clinicians and Patients With Cancer

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Perceived stress and mindfulness can impact medical decision-making in both patients and clinicians. The aim of this study was to conduct a cross-sectional evaluation of the relationships between stress, mindfulness, self-regulation, perceptions of treatment conversations, and decision-making preferences among clinicians. Also, perceptions of treatment conversations and decision-making preferences among patients with cancer were evaluated. METHODOLOGY: Survey instruments were developed for clinicians and patients incorporating previously published questions and validated instruments. Institutional review board approval was obtained. Patients, physicians, and advanced practice providers from a tertiary referral center were asked to complete surveys. Continuous variables were evaluated for normality and then bivariate relationships between variables were evaluated using χ(2), Fisher's exact test, Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel (CMH) row mean scores differ statistic, or Kruskal-Wallis tests, where appropriate. Significance was defined at P