Teaching the Skill of Shared Decision Making Utilizing a Novel Online Module: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Study.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Communication
• Pediatric Subspecialty Training

Background:

• Shared decision-making (SDM) is crucial in pediatric care.
• Effective SDM training for physicians in training remains a challenge.
• Existing SDM resources have limitations in demonstrating effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and test an online educational module for teaching optimal SDM behaviors.
• To assess the impact of the module on SDM skills in pediatric subspecialty fellows.
• To hypothesize significant improvement in SDM behaviors post-intervention.

Main Methods:

• A randomized crossover trial design was employed.
• Pediatric subspecialty fellows participated in video-taped clinical simulations.
• Trained experts evaluated SDM behaviors in simulated patient-parent interactions.

Main Results:

• Intervention group showed a significant improvement in SDM behaviors.
• Participants receiving the online module were approximately 40 times more likely to improve their score.
• The improvement was statistically significant (P = .022).

Conclusions:

• An online, interactive module is effective for teaching SDM skills to pediatric trainees.
• This tool can address limitations of current SDM resources.
• It offers a scalable solution for enhancing SDM utilization in various healthcare settings.