[Development of patient education materials for the "German Prostate Cancer Trial PREFERE"]

The German prostate cancer study PREFERE (www.prefere.de) started in January 2014. It is the first randomised controlled and preference-based trial to investigate all four options available for the treatment of organ-confined prostate cancer. According to the "Interdisciplinary evidence-based S3 guideline for the early detection, diagnosis and treatment of the different stages of prostate cancer" [1], these options include: radical prostatectomy, external radiotherapy, brachytherapy and active surveillance. In the context of PREFERE preference-based means that potential study participants who do not agree to being randomised into all four treatment arms can maximally refuse two treatment arms. This poses a big challenge to the patient education strategy employed and the information material it requires. In order to inform patients in the context of the PREFERE trial patient education materials (patient leaflet and video) had to be designed that provide patients with balanced and guideline-based information about the disease and the treatment options available, about the need for randomisation and, in particular, about the PREFERE trial and support their individual preference finding and shared decision making for participating in the trial. An iterative structured approach was used to develop the information materials on the basis of a previous literature search. Six focus groups with a total of 40 participants from three different self-help groups, affected men that do not belong to a self-help group, healthy men as well as experts, the members of the steering committee of the PREFERE trial and a focus group consisting of 18 male and female urologists were involved in the development and testing of both the patient information leaflet and the patient video. Both the patient information leaflet and the video supporting preference finding and decision making for participating in the PREFERE trial were tested for understandability and suitability by using a questionnaire and conducting a comprehensive discussion. The results of these lay evaluations have been included in the final revision. Also, a communication resource for physicians has been created comprising all the essential aspects of the PREFERE patient education materials. A short course conducted all over Germany will focus on the process of patient teaching as well as patient education materials. Whether and to what extent the decision for participating in the PREFERE trial has actually been influenced 1) by what the treating physicians communicated to the patient and 2) by the patient education materials used is one of the subjects of a quality of life survey that will be conducted following treatment or - in the case of the active surveillance option - after randomisation during the PREFERE trial.