Patients’ Needs and Experiences at Breast Cancer Diagnosis: How Perceived Threat Influences the Physician–Patient Interaction

Abstract

Physician–patient interaction at breast cancer diagnosis can only succeed if physicians know what patients want. To investigate patients’ needs and experiences we conducted semistructured interviews with eight patients. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed according to grounded theory and a typological approach. Patients’ needs and experiences concurred with a patient-centered approach in many aspects. The threat perceived by patients following diagnosis strongly influenced their needs and experiences. Three different types of patients were identified: emotionally needy, active, and trustful, adaptive. The typology identified in this study may help physicians to adequately adapt their behavior.

KEYWORDS:

• breast cancer
• patients’ needs and experiences
• physician–patient interaction
• perceived threat
• decision making
• information
• qualitative

The authors are thankful to the Landesstiftung Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany, which funded this research grant. They would like to thank the breast cancer patients who participated in the study for sharing their stories, and the two breast cancer centres of Freiburg for their assistance in recruitment.