Decision regret following breast reconstruction: the role of self-efficacy and satisfaction with information in the preoperative period.

Background: The relationship between satisfaction with information and decision regret has not been previously studied in breast reconstruction patients. The objective of this study, therefore, was to assess this relationship and the factors that may influence satisfaction with preoperative information, including self-efficacy (confidence with seeking medical knowledge).

Methods: All patients who underwent breast reconstruction between January of 2009 and March of 2011 were approached to complete the Modified Stanford Self-Efficacy Scale (1 to 10), the satisfaction with information subscale of the BREAST-Q (1 to 100), and the Decision Regret Scale (1 to 100). Two multinomial logistic regression models were built to assess the relationship between patient-reported satisfaction with information and decision regret, and to evaluate the relationship among satisfaction with information, self-efficacy level, and sociodemographic characteristics.

Results: In 100 participants (71 percent response rate), the mean Decision Regret Scale score was 9.3±17.3 of 100, and the majority of patients experienced no regret (60 percent). We found that regret was significantly reduced when patients were more satisfied with the preoperative information that they received from their plastic surgeons (β=0.95; 95 percent CI, 0.93 to 0.96). Furthermore, patients reported higher satisfaction with information when they possessed more self-efficacy irrespective of their sociodemographic characteristics (β=1.06; 95 percent CI, 1.04 to 1.09).

Conclusions: Patients who possess lower levels of self-efficacy are at greater risk for experiencing dissatisfaction with the information that they receive in the preoperative period, and ultimately suffered more regret over their decision to undergo breast reconstruction.

Clinical Question/level Of Evidence: Risk, IV.