The what matters most survey: A measurement evaluation of a self-reported patient values elicitation tool among cancer survivors

Abstract

ObjectivesPatients with multiple chronic conditions, especially cancer survivors, face challenges in medical decision making. Previous research demonstrates how patient values can guide medical decisions, however facilitating patient values elicitation remains a challenge. This study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of and refine the What Matters Most (WMM) Survey, a self-reported values elicitation tool, in a cohort of older veteran cancer survivors. MethodsAn observational cohort study was conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of the WMM Survey in older, multimorbid cancer survivors. 262 patients were administered the assessment at two timepoints, between 14 and 30 days apart. ResultsExploratory factor analyses revealed four factors for assessing healthcare values among older adults with good internal consistency for all factors: Functioning (Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, α = 0.88), Enjoying Life (α = 0.79), Connecting (α = 0.84), and Managing Health (α = 0.88). Demographic and clinical characteristics were not uniformly associated with specific healthcare values. ConclusionsFuture studies are required to refine the proposed assessment and to evaluate its application in a general patient population. Practice ImplicationsThe WMM Survey is an innovative resource in health values elicitation, allowing for facilitation of patient-clinician communication for whole-person medical approaches and measurement of health values for research.