Communication networks of men facing a diagnosis of prostate cancer

Abstract

Using these four network factors-tie strength, knowledgeable others, homophily or geographical proximity-to forecast men's willingness to disclose helps identify men who lack potential support and so are at risk of poor psychosocial health. Those with few strong ties or knowledgeable others in their networks may be in the at-risk cohort. The support provided in communication networks complements formal medical care from nurses and other health professionals, and encouraging patients to use their communication networks improves the psychosocial health of the men themselves, their partners and their families.

Understanding health decision making: An exploration of homophily

“…In future research, it will be worthwhile to measure homophily directly to ascertain its influence relative to other factors thought to affect the involvement of personal and social contacts in health care decision making. As Brown, Oetzel, and Henderson (2016) observed, homophily is one of several variables—including tie strength, medical knowledge, and geographic proximity—that may influence the extent to which decision makers disclose health-related information to social network contacts and in turn receive new information. Current literature and theory support the notion that personal and social contacts play an important role in health care decision making, yet the mechanisms by which these contacts come to be viewed as influential by the decision maker are unclear.…”

“…Similar to Hawley’s study of women with breast cancer (2009), the presence of influential other individual in our analysis actually modified an outcome measure. Consistently, qualitative study results of men with prostate cancer (Berry et al, 2003a) or those considering screening for prostate cancer (Brown et al, 2016) have included rich description of social network ties in which decision makers seek information from men “a lot like me” (Berry et al, 2003a) (p. 97). In this way, the decision frame serves as a heuristic that assists the decision maker in determining the most desirable options and outcomes for someone like them.…”

“…The importance of the homophilic relationship as an information source was further illustrated in a study of 1,651 racially and ethnically diverse women with non-metastatic breast cancer, in which less acculturated Latinas placed more importance on friends’ and family members’ opinions than any other racial or ethnic group (Hawley et al, 2009). In a qualitative study of the communication networks of 40 men on a prostate biopsy waiting list, Brown, Oetzel, and Henderson (2016) found that tie strength, medical knowledge, homophily and geographic proximity influenced the extent to which participants disclosed information about their medical condition to social network contacts. Specifically, participants in this study reported quickly developing strong ties with social contacts who were known to have a similar medical condition and sought medical information from social contacts who were either experienced with or knowledgeable about their disease.…”

Incertidumbre Frente Al Diagnóstico De Cáncer

“…24 The establishment of satisfactory medical relationships contributes to providing information that allows the patients to easily understand what their condition is and effectively influences treatment compliance. 25 The study shows that there is a shortage of doctor-patient communication that contributes to generating uncertainty. The way of communicating with the patient varies among the medical professionals.…”

Sources of Information for Learning and Decision-Making in Men With Localized Prostate Cancer

“…Health-care providers, friends and family, mass media, internet or print, and support groups were recognized as the sources of information (Blanch-Hartigan & Viswanath, 2015). Prostate cancer patients who use support of their networks may experience improved psychosocial outcomes (Brown et al, 2016).…”