Decision-Making Preferences in a Palliative Setting in Jordan

Abstract Purpose Understanding patients' decision-making preferences is crucial to enhancing patients’ outcomes. The current study aims to identify Jordanian advanced cancer patients’ preferred decision-making and to explore the associated variables of the passive decisional making preference. Methods We used a prospective cross-sectional survey design. Patients with advanced cancer referred to the palliative care clinic at a tertiary cancer center were recruited. We measured patients’ decision-making preferences using the Control Preference Scale. Patients’ satisfaction with decision-making was assessed with the Satisfaction with Decision Scale. Results A total of 200 patients completed the survey. Patients' median age was 49.8 years, 57.5% were female. Of them, 81 (40.5%) preferred passive decisional control, 35% (n=70) and 24.5% (n=49) preferred shared and active decision control respectively. Less educated females were found to have a statistically significant association with passive decisional control preferences. Around 84% (n = 168) of participants were satisfied with the way the decisions were made, 82% (n = 164) of patients were satisfied with the actual decisions made, and 71.5 % (n = 143) were satisfied with the shared information. The agreement level between decisional-making preferences and actual decisional practices was significant (ⱪ coefficient = 0.69; 95% CI = 0.59 to 0.79). Conclusion The study's results demonstrate that a passive decision control preference was prominent among patients with advanced cancer in Jordan. Further studies are needed to evaluate decision control preference for additional variables throughout the cancer illness trajectory to inform policies and improve practice.