Physician Preferences and Shared-Decision Making for the Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment of Lung Cancer: A Discrete-Choice Experiment Study in China

Juntao Yan; Yan Wei; Yue Teng; Shimeng Liu; Fuming Li; Shiyi Bao; Yanfeng Ren; Yingyao Chen

doi:10.2147/PPA.S365109

Physician Preferences and Shared-Decision Making for the Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment of Lung Cancer: A Discrete-Choice Experiment Study in China

Patient Prefer Adherence. 2022 Jun 17:16:1487-1497. doi: 10.2147/PPA.S365109. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Juntao Yan^{1

2}, Yan Wei^{1

2}, Yue Teng^{1

2

3}, Shimeng Liu^{1

2}, Fuming Li^{1

2}, Shiyi Bao^{1

2}, Yanfeng Ren^{1

2}, Yingyao Chen^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
² National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
³ Outpatient Department of Shanghai Research Institute of Acupuncture and Meridian, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.

Abstract

Background: With progress being made in the treatment of cancer, various clinical and treatment options are being pursued. In China, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is used widely in the treatment of cancer.

Objective: To estimate TCM treatment preferences and SDM mode of physicians in China.

Methods: This study was conducted among physicians (n=185) from nine tertiary hospitals in China by discrete-choice experiment (DCE) survey and Shared Decision-Making Questionnaire-physician version (SDM-Q-Doc) survey. The DCE was developed with the inclusion of the most relevant attributes at appropriate levels for the TCM treatment of lung cancer. The empirical data analyses of physicians were performed using mixed logit models. Additionally, subgroup analysis was conducted.

Results: In total, 185 respondents completed the questionnaire. All attributes were statistically significant except out-of-pocket costs. Physicians showed the strongest preferences for increasing disease control rate, relieving nausea and vomiting, and reducing the risk of side effects. Most of the physicians (78.38%) self-reported a high willingness to use SDM during the decision-making process. The physicians with a higher SDM-Q-Doc score had more preference for improving all three attributes than those with a lower score. Little variation was found in preferences among the physicians with other sociodemographic characteristics.

Conclusion: In China, physicians considered disease control rate as the most essential attribute in the TCM treatment of lung cancer. The physicians in China mainly preferred SDM, and the preference was different according to SDM mode when involving the TCM therapy for patients with lung cancer. The study findings could inform future TCM therapy for lung cancer and promote SDM.

Keywords: China; Traditional Chinese Medicine; discrete-choice experiment; lung cancer; physician preference; shared decision-making.