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Table 1 Participants' knowledge and decision measures related to risk-reducing mastectomy (RM) at follow-up intervals

From: Time to decide about risk-reducing mastectomy: A case series of BRCA1/2 gene mutation carriers

 

Case #1

Case #2

Case #3

Measure

Baseline

1st Follow-up

2nd Follow-up

Baseline

1st Follow-up

2nd Follow-up

Baseline

1st Follow-up

2nd Follow-up

Knowledge score1

6/10

8/10

9/10

9/10

9/10

9/10

7/10

7/10

7/10

Perceived level of knowledge of RM2

5/10

6/10

8/10

7/10

5/10

5/10

7/10

7/10

9/10

Perceived level of knowledge of breast screening2

4/10

7/10

8/10

7/10

5/10

7/10

8/10

8/10

6/10

Decision conflict3

2.42

2.58

2.58

1.0

1.83

3.33

2.16

1.83

2.33

Confidence with decision making4

n/a

9.2

8.2

n/a

8.0

5.0

n/a

9.5

9.5

Decision status5

Leaning to RM

Leaning to RM

Decided no RM

Leaning to RM

Leaning to RM

Undecided

Decided yes RM

Leaning to RM

Had RM

  1. 1Knowledge was measured using a series of ten true/false questions that were developed to assess women's knowledge about RM.
  2. 2Participants rated their perceived level of knowledge about RM and breast cancer screening on a ten point scale, where 1 is poor and 10 is excellent.
  3. 3Decision Conflict Scale [22,23] – A 12-item 5 point scale that assesses four areas of decision making: (uncertainty, feeling uninformed, clarity of values, and feeling unsupported). Scores may range from 1 (low decisional conflict) up to 5 (high decisional conflict).
  4. 4Confidence with Decision Making [24] – A 4-item 11 point scale that assesses level of confidence that advantages and disadvantages are understood, that a decision will be made, and of talking with health care providers about RM. Scores may range from 0 (not at all confident) to 10 (completely confident).
  5. 5Decision status [23]: Participants were asked to select the one of the following statements that best described their current thoughts about RM: You have decided to have prophylactic mastectomy; You are leaning towards having prophylactic mastectomy, but have not made a final decision; You have not decided one way or the other about prophylactic mastectomy; You are leaning towards not having prophylactic mastectomy, but have not made a final decision; You have decided not to have prophylactic mastectomy.