Prostate cancer affects an estimated 317,000 men and results in more than 41,000 deaths annually. Treatment options range from surgical removal of the prostate to active surveillance. Men diagnosed with prostate cancer are confronted with a difficult decision which they are often ill-informed to make. Decision-Aids are educational tools designed to help patients make informed, satisfying decisions about medical treatments. The goal of this SBIR is to produce and test a videotape about treatment options for prostate cancer that presents medically rigorous information in non-technical language using documentaries of real patients. The primary are to promote informed decision-making about treatment as well as to increase patient satisfaction with their decisions. During a successful Phase I, we developed a script and a 7-minute video excerpt based on feedback from men treated for prostate cancer, their partners, urologists and nurses. In Phase II, we will: 1) produce the full-length videotape, 2) assess its appeal by conducting focus groups with patients treated for prostate cancer, their partners and medical professionals, 3) assess its effectiveness in a clinical setting by conducting a field test with men diagnosed with prostate cancer, and 4) develop and initiate a plan for the distribution of the video.
