Shared decision making in oncology practice: what do oncologists need to know?

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Health Services Research
• Patient-Centered Care

Background:

• Growing interest in shared decision making (SDM) among patients, policymakers, and clinicians to involve patients in health decisions and integrate evidence into practice.
• Clinicians often lack optimal training for SDM, and patients desire greater involvement in cancer care decisions.
• SDM can reduce practice variation in preference-sensitive decisions by incorporating patient preferences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a perspective on integrating SDM into routine oncology practice.
• To facilitate patient-centered communication and promote effective treatment decisions in cancer care.
• To highlight oncology's unique position to lead SDM adoption due to numerous preference-sensitive decisions.

Main Methods:

• This paper offers a perspective on SDM implementation in oncology.
• Focuses on practical steps for clinicians to facilitate patient involvement in decision-making.
• Emphasizes the role of oncology in leading SDM adoption.

Main Results:

• Clinicians can facilitate cancer decision-making by identifying critical situations for SDM.
• Key steps include acknowledging decisions, describing options (risks, benefits, uncertainty), eliciting patient preferences, and agreeing on next steps.
• This structured approach supports informed and patient-centered choices.

Conclusions:

• Oncologists will likely increase SDM use due to policy shifts and the need to integrate evidence and patient preferences.
• Challenges remain in incorporating SDM into clinical workflows.
• Further research is needed to overcome these challenges for effective translation of evidence and patient preferences in oncology care.