Controls-Preferences
Figure 2 displays the results of the Controls-Preferences Scale. While preferences varied, most participants preferred to either share control or relinquish some or all control to clinicians when making medical decisions. Four patients (27%) reported wanting to mostly keep control, which the creators of the scale state is the ideal place for a patient in order to promote agency in decision-making. Qualitative results suggested that patients with a family member with medical expertise felt able to take more control in the decision-making process, but overall they reinforced predominant preferences to either share or relinquish control with clinicians. For instance, one patient stated: “Once I am in the hospital, once I have problems, I don’t make decisions for myself. I listen to the doctor, whatever the doctor says. The doctor gives me the way to treat a problem, treat my heart problem. And they are experts. I have no way to say. So I don’t make the decision. They make the decision. And all I do is just sign the paper. That’s all.” -Patient 4