Supporting Shared Decision Making for Women with Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second cause of cancer death among women in the United States with an estimated 226,870 new cases and 39,510 deaths in 2012 (Siegel, Naishadham, & Jemal, 2012). According to the American Cancer Society (2011), the number of the new cases of breast cancer has increased each year, but the rate of death has not. The progresses of available treatment and continuous research discovering new treatment options have improved the survival rates of women with breast cancer. Hearing the diagnosis of breast cancer by their physician is an unpleasant and staggering event for most women, and they often struggle to find the best treatment options for the types and stages of their breast cancer. From the study of experience of using decision support aids, Lacey (2002) found that women‘s initial reaction to the diagnosis of breast cancer was devastating, shocking, and overwhelming. Many women viewed physicians as the ones with expertise and knowledge, and they tended to depend on their physician's opinions and advice to make a decision for their treatment (Lacey, 2002). Education of patients is a primary concern of nursing. Nursing Informatics has a broad interest and responsibility towards tools supporting the education of patients including the education provided by physicians, pharmacists, and therapists. This is especially true for education provided at times when reception of the information may be compromised by disease or stressful situations such as a new diagnosis of cancer.