Table 4 Synthesized finding 2: Patient counseling is important for patients’ understanding of disease and treatment

Patients undergoing spinal surgery

Pre-treatment consultation and patients’ understanding and expectations

Some patients who had undergone spinal surgery did not feel adequately prepared for surgery [15]. [U]

Patients who had undergone spinal surgery could often not describe preoperatively what they expect from the recovery process [15]. [C]

The amount of information presented during the consultation with patients scheduled for surgical decompression for sciatica was excessive, and therefore, patients forget information that was given by the surgeon or don’t get the message [24]. [U]

Patients receiving advanced cancer care

Most patients referred for palliative radiotherapy reported that they were dissatisfied with the information from the referring physician [33]. [U]

Patients receiving advanced cancer care

Patients declared that they understood the treatment goal.

About half of the patients with metastatic disease understood that palliative radiotherapy could relieve their symptoms [33]. [U]

Advanced cancer patients with a low life expectancy had a clearer understanding of the treatment goal [35]. [U]

After discussing with the radiation team, patients undergoing palliative radiotherapy have a better understanding of their cancer, intent of radiation treatment and are less worried about receiving treatment [39]. [U]

The majority of patients with incurable lung cancer stated that chemotherapy aims to alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life [40]. [U]

The majority of patients with lung cancer undergoing palliative chemotherapy stated that chemotherapy will prolong their life [40]. [U]

The majority of patients with lung cancer declared that they are knowledgeable about palliative chemotherapy [40].[U]

Patients undergoing spinal surgery

Information needs of patients.

Additional information was sought by patients who were planned for spinal surgery from external sources [24]. [U]

Patients receiving advanced cancer care

Patients receiving palliative radiotherapy (and their caregivers) have different information needs [42]. [U]

Patients undergoing spinal surgery

Patients’ disease and treatment understanding and expectations were dependent on their surgeon.

Some patients who had undergone spinal surgery indicated that their surgeon prepared them preoperatively on what to expect [15]. [C]

Patients and spine surgeons seem to have a different understanding of the terms associated with spinal diseases and hence different expectations, resulting in discrepancies between patient and surgeon expectations [16]. [C]

When the spine surgeon is more experienced, the surgeon has lower expectations than their patient [16]. [C]

There is variation in methods from spine surgeon to improve patients’ understanding [24]. [U]

Patients receiving advanced cancer care

Almost half of initial palliative care conversations with patients with metastatic cancer included at least one statement regarding expectations for the patient’s length of life [38]. [U]