Information is essential to decisionmaking in all aspects of life, whether in making a simple decision concerning the purchase of a common household item or in making one that is far more complex and important, such as choosing options when confronted with a choice which may mean life or death. It is important to assess whether the decisionmaking process can be improved by a legislative approach. Ms. Caroline Bagley's doctoral dissertation research examines the impact of mandatory specific breast cancer disclosure legislation on physician practices to women newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Under the direction of Dr. Horn, she plans to determine if there is a difference in the pattern of physician disclosure concerning treatment options for breast cancer in a state that has passed legislation on physician disclosure when compared to one that has not. Specifically, Ms. Bagley focuses on a survey of surgeons in Michigan, a state with the legislation, and in Indiana, a state without the legislation, in order to assess whether requiring by law that certain standardized information sources be available for women diagnosed with breast cancer is having the intended effect on improving the health care decisionmaking process. This project holds substantial promise of advancing our understanding of the impact of the law and the efficacy of the legislative approach to disclosure.
