Use of Online Communication by Patients With Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer During the Treatment Decision Process

Use of Online Communication by Patients With Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer During the Treatment Decision Process Online communication (including email, social media, and web-based support groups) could be used to enhance cancer treatment decision making and care support. Yet, little is known about whether and how patients with newly diagnosed cancer use these technologies during the treatment decision process and even less is known about whether online communication use influences patient appraisals of decision making. Therefore, we characterized online communication use in a diverse, population-based sample of women with a new diagnosis of breast cancer and assessed whether the use of these modalities resulted in increased satisfaction and decision deliberation during the breast cancer treatment decision process.