PHYSICIAN/PATIENT PREFERENCES IN HYSTERECTOMY

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The purpose of this Small Grant Program application is to support a project of the George Anderson Outcomes Measurement Unit to study physician and patient preferences in hysterectomy. The project has two components which will focus on helping consumers (patients) make more informed choices regarding the decision to have a hysterectomy and assisting clinicians to decide what works best in clinical practice. The specific aims of this proposal are to: (1) Identify the factors contributing to clinicians' decision making regarding the surgical approaches to hysterectomy via physician focus groups. (2) Determine the contribution of patient needs, preferences, availability, and use of health care information in the patient decision making process for hysterectomy. These factors and patient's satisfaction with their decision will be examined through two sets of focus groups consisting of 1.) Women at risk for hysterectomy who have discussed the possibility of hysterectomy with their physician. 2.) Women who have undergone a hysterectomy within the past twelve months. This pilot observational information will serve as preliminary data and as a feasibility study for a larger prospective study to evaluate the various surgical approaches to hysterectomy (i.e. abdominal, vaginal, or laparoscopic). The eventual goal is to determine which approach results in better short-term and long-term outcomes including functional status, quality of life, and patient satisfaction.