Patients' health locus of control and preferences about the role that they want to play in the medical decision-making process

Giulia Marton; Silvia Francesca Maria Pizzoli; Laura Vergani; Ketti Mazzocco; Dario Monzani; Luca Bailo; Luca Pancani; Gabriella Pravettoni

doi:10.1080/13548506.2020.1748211

Patients' health locus of control and preferences about the role that they want to play in the medical decision-making process

Psychol Health Med. 2021 Feb;26(2):260-266. doi: 10.1080/13548506.2020.1748211. Epub 2020 Apr 23.

Authors

Giulia Marton^{1

2}, Silvia Francesca Maria Pizzoli^{1

2}, Laura Vergani^{1

2}, Ketti Mazzocco^{1

2}, Dario Monzani^{1

2}, Luca Bailo¹, Luca Pancani³, Gabriella Pravettoni^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS , Milan, Italy.
² Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan , Milan, Italy.
³ Department of Psychology, University of Milan - Bicocca , Milan, Italy.

PMID: 32323553
DOI: 10.1080/13548506.2020.1748211

Abstract

Health locus of control (HLOC) may influence people's behavior regarding their health as well as their desires to be involved in the medical decision-making. Our study aimed to examine HLOC's relations with people's control preferences about the medical decision-making. A total of 153 people filled out the self-administered version of the Control Preference Scale and the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale - form C. The most preferred role is the collaborative one. However, HLOC explained heterogeneity in people's control preferences: lower scores in external HLOC were related to a greater preference for the active and the collaborative role. From the personalized medicine perspective, an accurate evaluation of the patient's HLOC could help tailoring the decision-making process within the clinical context.

Keywords: Health locus of control; control preferences; medical decision-making; shared decision-making.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Female
Humans
Internal-External Control*
Male
Patient Participation / psychology*
Patient Preference / psychology*
Patients / psychology*
Patients / statistics & numerical data
Young Adult