Cathy Charles

Cathy Charles
CV 

Professor, Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Member, Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis

Phone Icon (905) 525-9140, ext. 22513
Fax Icon (905) 546-5211
 charlesc@mcmaster.ca

McMaster University
CRL Building, 2nd Floor, Rm 205
1280 Main Street West
Hamilton, ON 
 L8S 4K1

Cathy Charles is a professor in the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, a member of CHEPA at McMaster University, and an Investigator in the Supportive Cancer Care Research Unit which is co-sponsored by the Hamilton Regional Cancer Centre and McMaster University. Charles received a BA and MA in Sociology at the University of Toronto and a M.Phil. and PhD in Socio-Medical Sciences from Columbia University.  Her research interests include patient and public participation in treatment and health care decision-making, physician-patient communication, shared treatment decision-making, and the use of research information to improve decision-making in the clinical encounter. She is currently undertaking a variety of collaborative studies, both in Canada and internationally, in different clincial contexts on the above issues, as well as developing conceptual papers to clarify thinking on research and practical issues in these areas.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

  • shared treatment decision-making
  • physician-patient relationship
  • public participation in health care decision-making
  • research transfer
  • social constructions of health/health care policy  

REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS  

Elit L, Charles C, Dimitry S, Tedford-Gold S, Gafni A, Gold I, Whelan T. It’s a Choice to Move Forward: Women’s Perceptions  About Treatment Decision-Making in  Recurrent Ovarian Cancer. Psyho-Oncology 2010 March; 19 (3): 318-325.

Gafni A and Charles C. The Physician – Patient Encounter: An Agency Relationship? In Evidence Based Patient Choice. (2nd edition). Edwards A & Elwyn G (eds) Oxford University Press. 2009.

Elwyn G, and Charles C. Shared Decision Making: From Conceptual Models to Implementation in Clinical Practice. In Evidence Based Patient Choice (2nd edition). Edwards A & Elwyn G  (eds) Oxford University Press.  2009.

Moumjid N, Charles C, Magali M, Gafni A, Bremond A, Farsi F, Whelan T, Carrere M.  The Statutory Duty of Physicians to Inform Patients and Unmet Patient Information Needs:  The Case of Breast Cancer in France.  Health Policy 2009 July; 91: 162-173.

Charles C, Gafni A, Whelan T, O’Brien MA. Cultural Influences on the Physician-Patient Encounter: The Case of Shared Treatment Decision-Making. Patient Education & Counseling, 2006: 63: 262-267.

Charles C and Gafni A. Can I Accurately Predict the Impact of an Illness and its Treatment on my Future Subjective Well Being? A Complex Question That Does Not Have A Simple Answer. Health Expectations, 2006; 9: 252-254.

TEACHING ACTIVITIES

  • qualitative research methods
  • health policy analysis
  • medical sociology
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