Cure Me Even If It Kills Me: Preferences for Invasive Cancer Treatment

Angela Fagerlin, Brian J. Zikmund-Fisher and Peter A. Ubel
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Angela Fagerlin: VA Health Services Research & Development Center of Excellence, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Center for Behavioral and Decision Sciences in Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, fagerlin@med.umich.edu
Brian J. Zikmund-Fisher: VA Health Services Research & Development Center of Excellence, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Center for Behavioral and Decision Sciences in Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI
Peter A. Ubel: VA Health Services Research & Development Center of Excellence, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Center for Behavioral and Decision Sciences in Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Medical Decision Making, 2005, vol. 25, issue 6, 614-619

Abstract: Purpose . When making medical decisions, people often care not only about what happens but also about whether the outcome was a result of actions voluntarily taken or a result of inaction. This study assessed the proportion of people choosing nonoptimal treatments (treatments which reduced survival chances) when presented with hypothetical cancer scenarios which varied by outcome cause. Methods . A randomized survey experiment tested preferences for curing an existent cancer with 2 possible treatments (medication or surgery) and 2 effects of treatment (beneficial or harmful). Participants were 112 prospective jurors in the Philadelphia County Courthouse and 218 visitors to the Detroit-Wayne County Metropolitan Airport. Results . When treatment was beneficial, 27% of participants rejected medication, whereas only 10% rejected surgery with identical outcomes ( 2 = 5.87, P

Keywords: MeSH; omission bias; decision-making; survey; cancer (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2005
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:medema:v:25:y:2005:i:6:p:614-619

DOI: 10.1177/0272989X05282639

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