Meaningful shared decision-making: complex process demanding cognitive and emotional skills

Area of Science:

• Healthcare delivery
• Medical ethics
• Patient-centered care

Background:

• Shared decision-making (SDM) involves clinicians guiding patients toward optimal actions aligned with their values.
• Effective SDM is crucial for patient autonomy and satisfaction in clinical encounters.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a narrative literature review focusing on the humanistic aspects of shared decision-making (SDM).
• To identify barriers to SDM implementation and propose strategies for improvement.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive narrative review of existing literature on shared decision-making.
• Analysis focused on identifying humanistic dimensions and practical challenges of SDM.

Main Results:

• Shared decision-making (SDM) is frequently underutilized in clinical practice.
• Key barriers include time constraints, insufficient clinician skills, and challenges in communicating uncertainty.

Conclusions:

• Listening, empathy, emotional intelligence, and trust-building are vital for effective SDM.
• Recommendations include developing new tools, simulation-based training, and better quality measures for SDM.
• Implementing SDM can enhance patient care and potentially restore meaning in the healthcare experience.