[Shared decision making in patients with diabetes mellitus]

Area of Science:

• Medical Humanities
• Health Services Research
• Patient-Centered Care

Background:

• Diabetes mellitus presents complex challenges for patients, often exacerbated by healthcare that overlooks individual values and contexts.
• Existing healthcare models may lead to treatments misaligned with patients' lives, increasing their burden.
• Shared Decision Making (SDM) offers a patient-centered approach to address this gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the role and application of Shared Decision Making (SDM) in managing diabetes mellitus.
• To discuss three distinct SDM approaches tailored for diabetes care.
• To highlight challenges and propose strategies for SDM implementation, particularly in resource-limited settings like Latin America.

Main Methods:

• Discussion of three SDM models: information sharing, choice support, and problem-solving for diabetes and comorbidities.
• Review of existing literature on SDM benefits and implementation barriers.
• Consideration of socio-economic and healthcare contexts influencing SDM adoption.

Main Results:

• SDM facilitates empathic conversations, integrating evidence with patient values, preferences, and life context.
• Three distinct SDM approaches can be applied to diabetes management.
• Despite demonstrated benefits in Western studies, SDM implementation faces significant hurdles, especially in Latin America.

Conclusions:

• SDM is crucial for patient-centered diabetes care, aligning treatment with individual lives.
• Overcoming implementation challenges in diverse healthcare settings requires further research and adapted strategies.
• Clinicians can initiate SDM by fostering open communication and shared goal-setting with patients.