Health information seeking behaviour and decision making by patients undergoing breast cancer surgery: A qualitative study

Abstract Background Information is critical for patients having to decide about the best treatment option, and an in‐depth understanding of their information behaviour can help health and information services to improve and facilitate their access to reliable information. Objective To investigate the health information‐seeking behaviour and information sources and their roles in decision making among breast cancer patients in Romania in the context of the surgical treatment. Methods Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 34 patients who were treated surgically for breast cancer at the Bucharest Oncology Institute. Results Most participants searched for information independently, before and after the operation, and their information needs evolved during the progression of their disease. The surgeon was regarded as the most trusted source of information. Most patients adopted a paternalistic or a shared approach for decision making. Discussion Besides findings consistent with research from other countries, our study also revealed findings in contrast to previous research. None of the interviewed patients made any reference to the library as a source of information even if books were mentioned. Conclusions Health information specialists should develop a detailed guide and online information services to help physicians and other health professionals to provide relevant and reliable health care information to surgical inpatients from Romania.