Abstract
Delivery of medical advice is characterized by a process of weighing, prioritizing and structuring information given to a patient into a decision. In the ideal world, this is evidence-based. However, non-clinical factors can influence the decision-making process. The current chapter will briefly review models of the surgeon-patient relationship, and focus on those factors that influence the decision-making process from the surgeon’s perspective. A subsequent chapter will focus on issues from the patient perspective.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Cooper JD, Trulock EP, Triantafillou AN, et al. Bilateral pneumectomy (volume reduction) for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1995;109:106–19.
Ramsey SD, Sullivan SD. Evidence, economics and emphysema: Medicare’s long journey with lung volume reduction surgery. Health Aff (Millwood). 2005;24:55–66.
The National Emphysema Treatment Trial Research Group. Rationale and design of the National Emphysema Treatment Trial (NETT): a prospective randomized trial of lung volume reduction surgery. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1999;118:518–28.
Cooper JD. Paying the piper: the NETT strikes a sour note. National Emphysema Treatment Trial. Ann Thorac Surg. 2001;72:330–3.
Huizenga HF, Ramsey SD, Albert RK. Estimated growth of lung volume reduction surgery among Medicare enrollees: 1994 to 1996. Chest. 1998;114:1583–7.
National Emphysema Treatment Trial Research Group. A randomized trial comparing lung volume-reduction surgery with medical therapy for severe emphysema. N Engl J Med. 2003;348:2059–73.
Lee EO, Emanuel EJ. Shared decision making to improve care and reduce costs. Engl J Med. 2005;1:6–8.
Clark JA, Potter DA, McKinlay JB. Bringing social structure back into clinical decision making. Soc Sci Med. 1991;32:853–66.
Tubbs EP, Broekel Elrod JA, Flum DR. Risk taking and tolerance for uncertainty: implications for surgeons. J Surg Res. 2006;131:1–6.
Nightingale SD. Risk preference and laboratory use. Med Decis Making. 1987;7:168–72.
Nightingale SD. Risk preference and admitting rates of emergency room physicians. Med Care. 1988;26:84–7.
Nightingale SD. Risk preference and decision making in critical care situations. Chest. 1988;93:684–7.
Holtgrave DR, Lawler F, Spann SJ. Physicians’ risk attitudes, laboratory usage, and referral decisions: the case of an academic family practice center. Med Decis Making. 1991;11:125–30.
Zaat JOM. General practitioners’ uncertainty, risk preference and use of laboratory tests. Med Care. 1992;30:846–54.
Greenfield LJ, Proctor MC. When should a surgeon retire? Adv Surg. 1999;32:385–93.
Trunkey DD, Botney R. Assessing competency: a tale of two professions. J Am Coll Surg. 2001;192:385–95.
Choudhry NK, Fletcher RH, Soumerai SB. Systematic review: the relationship between clinical experience and quality of health care. Ann Intern Med. 2005;142:260–73.
Freiman MP. The rate of adoption of new procedures among physicians. The impact of specialty and practice characteristics. Med Care. 1985;23:939–45.
Hlatky MA, Cotugno H, O’Connor C, Mark DB, Pryor DB, Califf RM. Adoption of thrombolytic therapy in the management of acute myocardial infarction. Am J Cardiol. 1988;61:510–4.
Young MJ, Fried LS, Eisenberg J, Hershey J, Williams S. Do cardiologists have higher thresholds for recommending coronary arteriography than family physicians? Health Serv Res. 1987;22:623–35.
Nakata Y, Okuno-Fujiwara M, Goto T, Morita S. Risk attitudes of anesthesiologists and surgeons in clinical decision making with expected years of life. J Clin Anesth. 2000;12:146–50.
American College of Surgeons Health Policy Research Institute. The surgical workforce in the United States: profile and recent trends. Apr 2010. Accessed at http://www.acshpri.org/documents/ACSHPRI_Surgical_Workforce_in_US_apr2010.pdf.
Darves B. Women physicians in the specialties: making gains. N Eng J Med Career Center. 19 Sept 2012. Accessed at http://www.nejmcareercenter.org/article/women-physicians-in-the-specialties-making-gains/.
Roter DL, Hall JA. Why physician gender matters in shaping the physician-patient relationship. J Womens Health. 1998;7:1093–7.
Roter D, Lipkin Jr M, Korsgarrd A. Sex differences in patients’ and physicians’ communications during primary care medical visits. Med Care. 1991;29:1083–93.
Van den Bronk-Muinen A, Bensing JM, Kerssens JJ. Gender and communication style in general practice. Differences between women’s health care and regular health care. Med Care. 1998;36:100–6.
Cowan Jr JA, Dimick JB, Thompson BG, et al. Surgeon volume as an indicator of outcomes after carotid endarterectomy: an effect independent of specialty practice and hospital volume. J Am Coll Surg. 2022;195:814–21.
Goodney PP, Lucas FL, Stukel TAA, Birkmeyer JD. Surgeon specialty and operative mortality with lung resection. Ann Surg. 2005;241:179–84.
Farjah F, Flum DR, Varghese Jr TK, et al. Surgeon specialty and long-term survival after pulmonary resection for lung cancer. Ann Thorac Surg. 2009;87:995–1006.
Dimick JB, Goodney PP, Orringer MB, Birkmeyer JD. Specialty training and mortality after esophageal cancer resection. Ann Thorac Surg. 2005;80:282–6.
Lee PV, Berenson RA, Tooker J. Payment reform – the need to harmonize approaches in Medicare and the private sector. N Engl J Med. 2010;362:3–5.
Ein D, Jefferson A. The patient protection and affordable care act: causes and effects. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2014;112:6–8.
Devettere RJ. Making health care decisions. In: Devettere RJ, editor. Practical decision making in health care ethics. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press; 2000. p. 94.
Itani KM. Fifteen years of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program in review. Am J Surg. 2009;198(5 Suppl):S9–18.
SAGES guidelines for laparoscopic resection of curable colon and rectal cancer. Feb 2012. Accessed at http://www.sages.org/publications/guidelines/guidelines-for-laparoscopic-resection-of-curable-colon-and-rectal-cancer/.
Topol EJ, Califf RM. Scorecard cardiovascular medicine. Its impact and future directions. Ann Intern Med. 1994;120:65–70.
Hannan EL, Kilburn Jr H, O’Donnell JF, et al. Adult open heart surgery in New York State. An analysis of risk factors and hospital mortality rate. JAMA. 1990;264:2768–74.
Epstein A. Performance reports on quality – prototypes, problems and prospects. N Engl J Med. 1995;333:57–61.
Narins CR, Dozier AM, Ling FS, Zareba W. The influence of public reporting of outcome data on medical decision making by physicians. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165:83–7.
Schneider EC, Epstein AM. Use of public performance reports: a survey of patients undergoing cardiac surgery. JAMA. 1998;279:1638–42.
Prager RL, Armenti FR, Bassett JS, et al. Cardiac surgeons and the quality movement: the Michigan experience. Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2009;21:20–7.
Flum DR, Fisher N, Thompson J, et al. Washington State’s approach to variability in surgical processes/outcomes: Surgical Clinical Outcomes Assessment Program (SCOAP). Surgery. 2005;138:821–8.
Aldea GS, Mokadam NA, Melford R, et al. Changing volumes, risk profiles, and outcomes of coronary artery bypass grafting and percutaneous coronary interventions. Ann Thorac Surg. 2009;87:1828–38.
Clark RE. The STS Cardiac Surgery National Database: an update. Ann Thorac Surg. 1995;59:1376–81.
Wright CD, Gaissert HA, Grab JD, et al. Predictors of prolonged length of stay after lobectomy for lung cancer: a Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Database risk-adjustment model. Ann Thorac Surg. 2008;85:1857–65.
Cassel CK, Guest JA. Choosing Wisely: helping physicians and patients make smart decisions about their care. JAMA. 2012;307:1801–2.
Wood DE, Mitchell JD, Schmitz DS, et al. Choosing Wisely: cardiothoracic surgeons partnering with patients to make good health care decisions. Ann Thorac Surg. 2013;95(3):1130–5.
Mayer Jr JR. Ethical, legal and health policy challenges in contemporary cardiothoracic surgery: introduction. Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2009;21:1–2.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer-Verlag London
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Varghese, T.K. (2014). Decision Making: The Surgeon’s Perspective. In: Ferguson, M. (eds) Difficult Decisions in Thoracic Surgery. Difficult Decisions in Surgery: An Evidence-Based Approach, vol 1. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-6404-3_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-6404-3_4
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-6403-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-6404-3
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)