INFORMATION FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
Watch
A short video on why doctors and patients making treatment decisions together is so important.
We need to talk about treatment options
Clinicians and patients making treatment decisions together is best practice. When cancer treatment decisions are shared decisions, patients are more likely to stick with them, they feel their quality of life concerns have been heard and they understand why you are recommending a particular treatment plan.
However, global studies show that not enough kidney cancer clinicians and patients are talking about treatment options – particularly access to clinical trials. That’s why the theme for this year’s World Kidney Cancer Day is ‘We need to talk about treatment options’, and we want to help you be ready to have more and better conversations with your patients.
Better conversations lead to better patient relationships
Two things that are key to shared decision-making are open-ended questions and active listening.
Open-ended questions
Instead of asking yes or no questions, invite patients to answer in their own words. E.g. “What things are important to you while you’re on treatment?”. This can encourage patients to open up about their quality of life priorities, which are often as important in deciding which treatment is right for them as clinical data.
Active listening
Active listening involves paying complete attention, hearing more than is being said and resisting the temptation to interrupt or control the conversation. Body language is an important part of active listening as it conveys respect for what the other person is saying.
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World Kidney Cancer Day would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. On behalf of the global kidney cancer community, we thank you.
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