The relative importance of patients' decisional control preferences and experiences

Patients' role in treatment decision-making can influence psychosocial and health-related outcomes (i.e. satisfaction, felt respect, adherence). We examined decisional control in a surgical context, identifying correlates of patients' preferences and experiences.

380 patients and 7 surgeons were surveyed during initial surgical consultation visits in a low-income outpatient clinic.

Patients reported preferences for (pre-consultation) and experiences of (post-consultation) decisional control, demographics, satisfaction with care, and adherence to treatment recommendations. Surgeons rated patients' health status.

Preferences for and experiences of decisional control were unrelated, suggesting significant preference-experience misalignment. However, this misalignment did not appear to be consequential for patient outcomes. Rather, more decisional control, regardless of patients' preferences, predicted greater satisfaction with care and greater self-reported adherence as assessed at a post-surgical appointment.

Decisional control predicts better outcomes for patients, regardless of their preferences for control over treatment decisions. These findings suggest that interventions should aim to increase patients' degree of decisional control when feasible and appropriate.