Doctors' Understanding of Survival Statistics

NCT00981019 | Completed Results DMC

• 1 other identifier: MPIB-01-SM
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 778
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The probably most commonly used measure for expressing the pay-offs of early detection and treatment are survival rates. Yet, over time and groups this metric comes with several biases and thus, is not reliable for judging such benefits. Epidemiologists recommend using reduction of disease-specific mortality rates instead, which is unbiased. The purpose of the study is to investigate how primary care physicians understand and use different survival measures for determining the benefit of cancer screening tests.

Conditions

Screening

Keywords

survival rates; risk communication; screening counselling; screening recommendation; understanding of medical risk

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Number of Physicians (=Participants) Recommending the Screening

  The aim of the study was to learn how different medical cancer screening statistics would influence doctors' recommendation behavior and their effectiveness judgments of screening tests. For that reason the online survey study presented physicians with four different medical statistics (e.g., 5-year survival) within four successive scenarios and asked after each scenario whether they would recommend the screening to a (hypothetical) patient given the data. Options to answer are: Definitely yes, Probably yes, Probably no, Definitely no, Can't decide.

  25 minutes (mean duration of the survey)

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Number of Physicians (= Participants) Assuming a Benefit of Screening

  25 minutes (mean duration of the survey)

Study Arms (1)

mortality*incidence*5-year survival*early stage

Physicians will be faced in scenarios about screening with information on mortality and 5-year survival, followed by information on mortality\*incidence and 5-year survival\*early stage in a random order.

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 30 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

301 primary care physicians (internal, general, and family medicine physicians)

You may qualify if:

• primary care physicians (internal, general, and family medicine physicians)

You may not qualify if:

• all other types of physicians

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Max Planck Institute for Human Development: lead
• Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Max Planck Institute for Human Development

Berlin, 14195, Germany

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Wegwarth O, Schwartz LM, Woloshin S, Gaissmaier W, Gigerenzer G. Do physicians understand cancer screening statistics? A national survey of primary care physicians in the United States. Ann Intern Med. 2012 Mar 6;156(5):340-9. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-156-5-201203060-00005.

  PMID: 22393129 DERIVED

Related Links

• Principal investigator's webpage

Limitations and Caveats

Mistaken exclusion of "exclusively outpatient" physicians due to a programming mistake of the online survey screener

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Dr. Odette Wegwarth
• Organization: Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Harding Center for Risk Literacy

wegwarth@mpib-berlin.mpg.de

+49-30-82406

Study Officials

• Odette Wegwarth, Dr.

  Max Planck Institute for Human Development

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: Yes

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: ECOLOGIC OR COMMUNITY
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 18, 2009
• First Posted: September 22, 2009
• Study Start: December 1, 2009
• Primary Completion: December 1, 2009
• Study Completion: December 1, 2009
• Last Updated: August 15, 2011
• Results First Posted: August 15, 2011

Record last verified: 2011-07

Locations

DE (1)