African-American and caucasian female cancer patients’ cancer and treatment information needs and preferred information sources

Abstract

9073 Background: Patients need information to maximize access to appropriate care, make informed decisions about treatment and communicate with their physicians and other healthcare providers. This study examined information needs related to cancer care and preferred information sources across ethnicities. Methods: A cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted with a random sample of 107 African-American and Caucasian female cancer patients from a university-affiliated cancer clinic. Descriptive analyses characterize patient demographics and information preferences. Multiple logistic regression tested variations in preferences by ethnicity. Results: There were significant differences in what African-American and Caucasian cancer patients considered their primary sources of information about their cancer and treatment. More African-Americans (36%) than Caucasians (9%) said they go to healthcare providers other than their physicians (e.g., nurses, nursing assistants, p=0.002) and use the library (14% vs. 7%) for information about their disease and treatment (p=0.002). Caucasian patients more often said they go to physicians (61% vs. 40%, p<0.01) or the internet (23% vs. 10%, p=0.04) for their information. More African-Americans (84%) than Caucasians (59%) rated information about counseling for emotional support as extremely important (p<0.01) and rated information about issues such as transportation and legal advice as extremely important (75% vs. 55%, p=0.05). There were no differences between ethnicities in desire for information about disease, treatment, side effects, and chances of getting better. Conclusions: All patients desired accurate and comprehensive information about their disease, prognosis and treatment. Significant differences were found between African-Americans and Caucasians in type and means of information. African-American patients were more likely to obtain information from providers other than physicians, and Caucasians were more likely to use the internet. These findings have implications for training professionals and developing programs to provide information to patients about their cancer treatment. No significant financial relationships to disclose.