[Communication Bad News by Physicians: The German Version of the MPP (Measure of Patients' Preferences) Questionnaire to the Communicative Preferences of Cancer Patients].

OBJECTIVES

Breaking bad news is as one of the most distressing tasks that doctors face with high demands on their communication and psychosocial skills. Patient preferences for communicating bad news influence the course of such consultations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric characteristics of the German version of the Measure of Patients' Preferences (MPP), a questionnaire that has been validated in several international studies.

METHOD

Statistical analyses were performed in a sample of N=270 cancer patients during early treatment phase (mixed cancer entities, mean age 56.9 years, 46.7% female). In this prospective study with 2 assessment times, the factorial structure of the MPP-D was examined using principal components analysis with varimax rotation.

RESULTS

Factor analysis resulted in a 9-factor solution, the 3 factor structure of the original version was not replicated. Cronbachs α was>0.80 for 7 of the MPP-D subscales indicating good to excellent reliability.

CONCLUSION

Further psychometric testing and optimisation of the measure is recommended.