Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39340169›Full record

ArticlePalliative medicine2024

The focus on life-prolonging anticancer treatment hampers shared decision-making in people with advanced cancer: A qualitative embedded multiple-case study.

Daisy Jm Ermers, Maartje J van Geel, Yvonne Engels, Demi Kellenaers, Anouk Sj Schuurmans, Floortje K Ploos van Amstel, Carla Ml van Herpen, Yvonne Schoon, Henk J Schers, Kris Cp Vissers and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Palliative medicine, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Observational
  2. Shared Decision-Making with Palliative Care Specialist.Journal of hospice and palliative care · 2025
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Daisy Jm ErmersDepartment of Anaesthesiology, Pain, and Palliative Medicine, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-1985-2839
Maartje J van GeelConsultancy Group Process Improvement and Implementation, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Yvonne EngelsDepartment of Anaesthesiology, Pain, and Palliative Medicine, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-7669-1018
Demi KellenaersDepartment of Anaesthesiology, Pain, and Palliative Medicine, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Anouk Sj SchuurmansDepartment of Anaesthesiology, Pain, and Palliative Medicine, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Floortje K Ploos van AmstelDepartment of Medical Oncology, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Carla Ml van HerpenDepartment of Medical Oncology, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Yvonne SchoonDepartment of Geriatrics, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Henk J SchersDepartment of Primary and Community Care, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Kris Cp VissersDepartment of Anaesthesiology, Pain, and Palliative Medicine, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Evelien Jm KuipDepartment of Anaesthesiology, Pain, and Palliative Medicine, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Marieke PerryDepartment of Primary and Community Care, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundImplementing shared decision-making in oncology practice is often limited, particularly integrating the patient's context into decision-making. To improve this, we conducted a quality improvement project,

aimTo explore how persons with advanced cancer and their involved professionals experienced shared decision-making after the introduction of

designA qualitative embedded multiple-case study using in-depth interviews analysed with inductive content analysis.

participantsA purposive sample of 14 cases, each case consisting of a patient with advanced cancer and ideally their medical oncologist, case manager, and GP.

resultsFour themes were identified: shared decision-making is a dynamic and continuous process (1), in which the medical oncologist's treatment recommendation is central (2), fuelled by the patients' experience of not having a choice (3), and integrating the patient's context into shared decision-making was considered important but hampered (4), for example, by the association with the terminal phase.

conclusionsThe prevailing tendency among medical oncologists and persons with advanced cancer to prioritize life-prolonging anticancer treatments restricts the potential for shared decision-making. This undermines integrating individual context into decision-making, a critical aspect of the palliative care continuum.

Indexed as

Decision Making, SharedNeoplasmsQualitative ResearchAdultAgedAged, 80 and overDecision MakingFemaleHumansLife Support CareMaleMiddle AgedPalliative CarePatient Participationcommunicationmedical oncologypalliative careprofessional-patient relationsqualitative researchShared decision-making

Identifiers

PMID39340169
PMCPMC11613517

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.