NCT05132478

The Effect of Surgeon Emotional Support on Treatment Choice for Low-risk Thyroid Cancer

The Effect of Surgeon Emotional Support on Treatment Choice for Low-risk Thyroid Cancer: a Randomized Hypothetical Choice Experiment

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 126 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Wisconsin, Madison · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

118 adults with benign thyroid nodules who were seen at a UW Health clinic for a fine needle biopsy and do not need surgery will be enrolled and can expect to be on study for a one-time visit of up to 60 minutes. Each participant will be randomized to watch one of two videos simulating a patient-surgeon discussion about treatment options for low-risk thyroid cancer with or without emotionally supportive statements.

Detailed description

In this study, the investigators will test the extent to which emotionally supportive communication from a surgeon is associated with patient preference for total thyroidectomy. The investigators will conduct a hypothetical choice experiment with "analogue" patients, defined as those with a benign thyroid nodule not requiring surgery. Baseline measures will be collected, then participants will be randomized to watch a video simulation of a patient-surgeon discussion about treatment options for low-risk thyroid cancer with or without emotionally supportive statements. The investigators hypothesize that increased emotionally supportive communication by the surgeon will decrease the likelihood of patients choosing total thyroidectomy, reduce anxiety and thyroid cancer fear, and increase decisional confidence, perceived physician empathy, trust in physician, and information recall.

Conditions

• Thyroid Cancer
• Thyroid Nodule
• Benign Thyroid Nodule

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Emotionally Supportive Video	The video is approximately 6 1/2 minutes in length and portrays an emotionally supportive conversation between a patient and surgeon during which the surgeon discusses: the diagnosis, prognosis, available treatment options, benefits and harms of the options, and need for decision making. The surgeon speaks for the majority of the simulated visit and discusses total and hemi-thyroidectomy with the addition of emotionally supportive statements and gestures.
OTHER	Standard Video	The video is approximately 5 minutes in length and portrays a standard conversation between a patient and surgeon during which the surgeon discusses: the diagnosis, prognosis, available treatment options, benefits and harms of the options, and need for decision making. The surgeon speaks for the majority of the simulated visit and discusses total and hemi-thyroidectomy.

Timeline

• Start date: 2021-11-17
• Primary completion: 2023-02-07
• Completion: 2023-02-07
• First posted: 2021-11-24
• Last updated: 2024-04-03
• Results posted: 2024-04-03

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States