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[Shared decision making. The perspective of practicing physicians]
Bettina Floer1, Melanie Schnee, Jan Böcken
1Fakultät für Medizin, Universität Witten/Herdecke, Witten.
Medizinische Klinik (Munich, Germany : 1983)
|August 17, 2004
Summary
Physicians largely support shared decision making (SDM), but often underestimate patient desire for participation and overestimate their own communication skills. Enhancing SDM training is crucial for better patient-centered care.
Area of Science:
- Medical Communication
- Health Services Research
- Patient-Centered Care
Background:
- Growing patient demand for involvement in medical decisions.
- Emphasis on patient-centered communication and information access.
- Limited understanding of physicians' perspectives on shared decision making (SDM).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate physicians' perspectives on shared decision making (SDM).
- To compare physicians' views with patients' preferences regarding SDM.
- To assess physicians' self-perceived communication and information skills in SDM.
Main Methods:
- Standardized survey of 502 ambulatory care physicians.
- Survey of 1,512 German-speaking individuals (18-79 years) from a population-based sample.
- Data collection on medical decision-making, physician communication, and behavior from both physician and patient viewpoints.
Main Results:
- Majority of physicians endorse the concept of SDM, with younger physicians showing stronger support.
- Physicians generally underestimate patients' desire to participate in decision-making.
- Physicians tend to overestimate their own information and communication skills.
Conclusions:
- Shared decision making (SDM) is widely accepted among both the public and physicians.
- Existing communication skills for SDM are present but require enhancement.
- Increased focus on communication skills in medical education and postgraduate training is recommended.