Medical Maximizing-Minimizing Preferences Predict Responses to Information about Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening

Laura D. Scherer, Jeffrey T. Kullgren, Tanner Caverly, Aaron M. Scherer, Victoria A. Shaffer, Angela Fagerlin and Brian J. Zikmund-Fisher
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Laura D. Scherer: Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia MO, USA
Jeffrey T. Kullgren: VA Center for Clinical Management Research, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Tanner Caverly: VA Center for Clinical Management Research, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Aaron M. Scherer: Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
Victoria A. Shaffer: Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia MO, USA
Angela Fagerlin: VA Salt Lake City Center for Informatics Decision Enhancement and Surveillance (IDEAS), Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Brian J. Zikmund-Fisher: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

Medical Decision Making, 2018, vol. 38, issue 6, 708-718

Abstract: Purpose: The recently developed Medical Maximizer-Minimizer Scale (MMS) assesses individual differences in preferences for active v. passive medical treatment. We hypothesized that men’s maximizing-minimizing preferences might have relevance in the case of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening, since there is considerable variability in men’s preference for being screened even among men who are informed that harm is more likely than benefit. The current research examined whether MMS preferences predict how men respond to didactic information and narrative stories about PSA screening. Design: US men 40+ years old ( N = 1208) participated in an online survey. Men viewed information about PSA screening in 3 phases and provided their preference for screening after each phase. Phase 1 described what PSA screening is. Phase 2 added didactic information about screening risks and benefits. Phase 3 added narrative stories; men were randomized to receive stories about 1) physical harm, 2) emotional harm, 3) overdiagnosis, or 4) all 3 stories. Participants also completed the validated MMS. Results: After receiving basic information, 76.8% of men wanted PSA screening. After receiving information about risks and benefits, 54.8% wanted screening (a significant reduction, P

Keywords: cancer screening; PSA screening; prostate cancer; screening communication; medical decision making (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:medema:v:38:y:2018:i:6:p:708-718

DOI: 10.1177/0272989X18782199

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