Empowered hospitalized patients are involved in shared decision making on antibiotic therapy: a quantitative analysis

Half of hospitalized patients receive antibiotics, but they are rarely involved in shared decision making (SDM) on antibiotic therapy. We sought to understand the association between patient empowerment and their involvement in SDM on antibiotic therapy.

From March 2021 to April 2022, we conducted a cross-sectional survey on hospitalized patients receiving antibiotic therapy for ≥1 day in a 1600-bed adult general hospital in Singapore. The questionnaire included seven items (five-point Likert scale) on involvement in SDM from SDM-Q-9 and 10 items (four-point Likert scale) on patient empowerment from HCEQ-10. A multi-variable logistic regression model was constructed to assess for independent associations between the three constructs of patient empowerment and involvement in SDM on antibiotic therapy.

Of 636 hospitalized patients, mean age was 57.6 (SD 15.5) years, 61% were males and 37% had tertiary-level education. The majority (90%) were aware that they were on antibiotic therapy, but only 11% of them knew the name of the antibiotic given. After adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, educational level, and duration of hospital stay, patients with a high-level of involvement in decisions (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 3.63, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.19-6.01), interactions with healthcare professionals (AOR 1.77, 95% CI 1.03-3.02), and degree of control over their hospital care (AOR 1.90, 95% CI 1.15-3.12) were more likely to have a high-level of involvement in SDM on antibiotic therapy.

Empowering hospitalized patients with involvement in decisions, interactions with healthcare professionals, and control of their hospital care can increase their participation in SDM on antibiotic therapy in hospitals.