Trends in Shared Decision-Making Studies From 2009 to 2018: A Bibliometric Analysis

Area of Science:

• Health Sciences
• Medical Informatics
• Public Health

Background:

• Shared decision-making (SDM) is crucial for patient-centered care.
• Understanding global trends in SDM research is vital for researchers.
• The study analyzes SDM publications from 2009-2018.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically analyze global development trends in shared decision-making (SDM) studies.
• To identify current research focuses and frontiers in SDM.
• To provide a reference for future SDM research.

Main Methods:

• A systematic search of the Web of Science Core Collection was performed.
• Data from 6,629 SDM studies published between 2009 and 2018 were analyzed.
• Bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer and CiteSpace identified key features and trends.

Main Results:

• The United States led in SDM research, with the University of California-San Francisco as a leading institution.
• Patient Education and Counseling published the most studies.
• Key research themes included informed consent, surgery, depression, older adults, and patient-centered care.

Conclusions:

• SDM research has shown a consistent increase since 2009, with the US dominating.
• The core of SDM research encompasses its concept, practice framework, and effect assessment.
• Emerging research focuses on informed consent, surgery, depression, older adults, and patient-centered care warrant further attention.