Prospective assessment of contralateral prophylactic mastectomy decision-making in women with average risk: an application of perceptual mapping

Women with early-stage unilateral breast cancer and no familial or genetic risk factors are increasingly electing contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM), despite the lack of evidence demonstrating improved outcomes. To better understand and extend the literature focused on treatment decision-making, a survey was conducted among women with early-stage breast cancer and no associated risk factors, who were in the process of making a surgical decision. This prospective study sought to expand our understanding of the factors that influence patients' decision to have CPM, with the goal of providing healthcare providers with useful guidance in supporting breast cancer patients who are making treatment decisions. Data were collected for this prospective study through an internet survey. Results were analyzed using perceptual mapping, a technique that provides visual insight into the importance of specific variables to groups of women making different surgical decisions, not available through conventional analyses. Results suggest that women more likely to elect CPM demonstrate greater worry about breast cancer through experiences with others and feel the need to take control of their health through selection of the most aggressive treatment option. The information obtained offers guidance for the development of targeted intervention and counsel that will support patients' ability to make high quality, informed decisions.

Improving Communication Messages by Using Perceptual Mapping: Family Planning Survey in East Java and West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

Objectives:

Contraceptive methods vary in effectiveness, actions required of users, and side effects. This article aims to analyze the perceptions about contraceptive methods among family planning clients of the East Java and West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) provinces in Indonesia.

Methods:

The data were obtained from the operational research of the Improving Contraceptive Method Mix Project in Indonesia, conducted in 2015–2016 in six districts in East Java and West Nusa Tenggara. The total sample size was 12,190 women aged 15–49 years. The perceptual mapping method uses cross-sectional surveys that require the respondent to rate the level to which they associate specific elements with each other, based on similarities and differences of perceived association. The correlation matrices for six contraceptive methods and five attributes were subjected to a multidimensional scaling analysis.

Results:

The results showed injectable to be the most preferred method, which was positioned closest to the attributes ‘easy to use’ and ‘easy to get’, followed by pills. Implants ranked higher than other long-acting and permanent method.

Conclusion:

Injectables and pills were the most preferred because people believe that they were ‘easy to use’ and ‘easy to get’. The least preferred methods were tubectomy and vasectomy because the respondents thought those were not close to any attributes at all. To increase the demand for the long-acting and permanent method choice in the provinces of East Java and West Nusa Tenggara, the attributes ‘easy to use’ and ‘easy to get’ should be emphasized in the long-acting and permanent method Information Education and Communication messages.

Understanding Parents' Perceptions of School-Based BMI Screening and BMI Report Cards Using Perceptual Mapping: Implications for School Nurses

Half of U.S. states measure students' body mass index (BMI), with many communicating that information to parents through a "BMI report card" or notification letter. School nurses are usually responsible for implementing these programs and communicating results to parents. The purpose of this study was to understand parents' perceptions of BMI screening programs to help inform school nurses about messages that are most helpful to use in report cards to motivate parents to follow-up with a health-care provider or to make behavioral changes for their child. Using a cluster analysis and perceptual mapping methods, a commercial marketing technique that creates three-dimensional graphic maps, we identified four unique clusters of parents based on their core attitudes and beliefs related to BMI screenings and report cards. Based on vector modeling techniques, key message strategies were developed that can be used by school nurses to enhance parent response to a BMI report card.

Using perceptual mapping methods to understand gender differences in perceived barriers and benefits of clinical research participation in urban minority HIV+ patients

Minority participation in HIV clinical trials research is critical to understanding the impact of medications or behavioral interventions, but little is known about gender differences in perceptions of participation. We surveyed 50 minority HIV+ patients from an urban clinic to assess perceived risks/benefits of clinical trial research participation and used innovative marketing methods to analyze results. Perceptual mapping and vector message-modeling, a method that creates 3-D models representing how groups conceptualize elements, were used to assess how male and female participants could be motivated to participate. Results showed men farther away from participation and more concerned with HIV disclosure and experimentation than women. Men expressed distrust of the medical system, doubted HIV's origin, and knew less about research implementation. Women were closer to participation in both behavior and medical trials and perceived medication issues as more significant, including fear of losing medication stability, medications not working, being in the placebo group, and experiencing side effects. Vector modeling shows that messages would need to focus on different aspects of clinical research for men and women and that interventions aimed at minority HIV+ patients to encourage clinical trial participation would need to be targeted to their unique perceptions. Understanding gender perceptions of HIV clinical research has significant implications for targeting messages to increase minority participation.

Developing a computer touch-screen interactive colorectal screening decision aid for a low-literacy African American population: lessons learned

African Americans have higher colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality than White Americans and yet have lower rates of CRC screening. Increased screening aids in early detection and higher survival rates. Coupled with low literacy rates, the burden of CRC morbidity and mortality is exacerbated in this population, making it important to develop culturally and literacy appropriate aids to help low-literacy African Americans make informed decisions about CRC screening. This article outlines the development of a low-literacy computer touch-screen colonoscopy decision aid using an innovative marketing method called perceptual mapping and message vector modeling. This method was used to mathematically model key messages for the decision aid, which were then used to modify an existing CRC screening tutorial with different messages. The final tutorial was delivered through computer touch-screen technology to increase access and ease of use for participants. Testing showed users were not only more comfortable with the touch-screen technology but were also significantly more willing to have a colonoscopy compared with a "usual care group." Results confirm the importance of including participants in planning and that the use of these innovative mapping and message design methods can lead to significant CRC screening attitude change.