Service User Opinions of 3D Breast Images as Decision-making Aids
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Service User and Service Provider Satisfaction with Three-Dimensional Breast Photographs as a Pre-Operative Decision-Making Aid
IRAS ID
247780
Contact name
Stuart McIntosh
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Queen's University Belfast
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 3 months, 5 days
Research summary
Receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer can have negative psychological consequences. Evidence exists that the prospect of, and choices relating to, surgery partly contribute to this distress. In an effort to alleviate stress, surgeons are keen to involve patients in the pre-operative breast cancer decision-making process. This involves at least one consultation with viewing of anonymised 'before and after' images of women who have previously been through similar surgery. However, research suggests that two-dimensional images fail to convey important information including breast volume, symmetry, and shape. Many breast surgical units possess the technology to capture three-dimensional images. The aim of this research is to incorporate these three-dimensional images into the pre-operative consultation to qualitatively determine what patients and service providers (i.e. surgeons or breast cancer specialist nurses) think about their use as a counselling and decision-making adjuvant. It is hoped that this initial 'fact finding' mission will generate future research questions about pre-operative decision-making in breast cancer.
REC name
HSC REC A
REC reference
18/NI/0156
Date of REC Opinion
11 Oct 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion