Is sharing really caring? Viewpoints on shared decision-making in paediatrics

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Healthcare
• Clinical Practice Guidelines
• Patient-Centered Care

Background:

• Shared decision-making (SDM) is vital for family-centered pediatric care, involving patients, families, and healthcare teams in health decisions.
• Despite evidence of positive outcomes, SDM is not widely adopted in pediatric clinical practice.
• Understanding the impact of SDM on all parties is key to increasing its use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the perspectives of a pediatric patient, parent, and pediatrician on the use of shared decision-making (SDM).
• To highlight the benefits and challenges of SDM from the viewpoints of key stakeholders in pediatric care.
• To provide practical recommendations for implementing SDM in pediatric settings.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative approach presenting the viewpoints of a pediatric patient with a rare chronic disease.
• Includes a parent's experience with a healthcare team skilled in SDM for a child with a rare nephrotic condition.
• Incorporates a pediatrician's insights on the challenges and rewards of SDM in clinical practice.

Main Results:

• A patient's experience details the impact of involvement versus exclusion in health decisions.
• A parent describes positive outcomes resulting from a healthcare team committed to SDM.
• A pediatrician outlines individual and systemic challenges and rewards associated with implementing SDM.

Conclusions:

• Presenting diverse stakeholder viewpoints can enhance understanding of SDM's impact.
• Addressing identified challenges can facilitate the adoption of SDM in pediatric care.
• Pragmatic recommendations are offered to improve SDM implementation in pediatric clinical practice.