[Informational stress among oncologists: an exploratory survey].

INTRODUCTION

There are few data describing the information overload and its effects on oncologists.

METHOD: This quantitative survey aims to characterize information overload using a questionnaire. Our working hypotheses are as follows: (I) information overload is a phenomenon characterized by the nature of medical information, its volume, complexity, ambiguity, and origin; (II) information overload may affect the stress levels of medical oncologists; (III) information overload and the resulting stress may diminish an oncologist's decision-making capacity or compromise the optimal treatment choice; (IV) information overload may have an impact on motivation and engagement; (V) oncologists implement strategies to cope with this phenomenon.

RESULTS

A total of 130 oncologists responded to the questionnaire. Approximately 43% of oncologists experience informational stress due to the increased volume of information they must manage. This informational stress could be associated with a decline in psychological health and could lead to a decrease in the quality of care.

DISCUSSION: This exploratory and self-reported survey highlights the importance of this topic, which remains relatively unexplored in medical literature.