The role of time in involving patients with cancer in treatment decision making: A scoping review

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Health Services Research
• Patient-Centered Care

Background:

• Time is frequently viewed as a significant obstacle to shared decision-making in oncology.
• The precise ways in which time acts as a barrier and optimal utilization strategies remain underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review to elucidate the role of time in patient involvement within cancer care.
• To identify effective strategies for overcoming time-related challenges in shared decision-making.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive search of seven databases was performed for publications on patient involvement in cancer treatment decisions.
• Focus areas included time utilization, its association with patient involvement, and strategies to mitigate time barriers.
• Data extraction and thematic analysis were conducted by independent reviewers to ensure rigor.

Main Results:

• Analysis of 26 publications identified four key themes regarding the function of time.
• Time serves as a crucial resource for processing diagnoses, information acquisition and consideration, and fostering patient-clinician interaction.
• Time is essential for enabling patient involvement in treatment decisions.

Conclusions:

• Time is a fundamental resource throughout the cancer treatment decision-making journey.
• Generic strategies have been proposed to effectively manage time constraints and enhance patient engagement.
• Co-creating decision timelines, distributing decisions across consultations, providing written information, and supporting healthcare system redesigns are recommended practices.