Impact of a decision aid on newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients’ understanding of the rationale for active surveillance

Objective To compare newly diagnosed localized prostate cancer patients who did and did not view a decision aid (DA) on their knowledge of the rationale for active surveillance (AS). Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 452 newly diagnosed low-risk localized prostate cancer patients. Patients were mailed the video/DVD DA and completed a web-based questionnaire that contained two multiple choice questions assessing knowledge of the rationale for AS. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the effect of the DA on knowledge of the rationale for AS. Results Patients who watched the DA were more likely to correctly respond to each rationale for AS question; both comparisons were statistically significant. After adjustment, men who viewed the DA were 2.9 times as likely to correctly respond to both rationale for AS questions than men who did not view the DA (95% CI: 1.9–4.5). Conclusion Patients who viewed a DA better understand the reasons why AS is a viable treatment option for localized prostate cancer than patients who did not view a DA. Practice implications Urology clinics and practices should implement the utilization of a treatment DA for newly diagnosed, localized prostate cancer prior to the patients’ first cancer consultation.