Documentation of shared decision-making in diagnostic testing for dementia in Dutch general practice: A retrospective...

To explore (1) documentation of shared decision-making (SDM) in diagnostic testing for dementia in electronic patient records (EPR) in general practice and (2) study whether documentation of SDM is related to specific patient characteristics.

In this retrospective observational study, EPRs of 228 patients in three Dutch general practices were explored for the documentation of SDM elements using Elwyn's model (team talk, option talk, decision talk). Patient characteristics (gender, age, comorbidities, chronic polypharmacy, the number of consultations on memory complaints) and decision outcome (wait-and-see, GP diagnostics, referral) were also extracted.

In EPRs of most patients (62.6 %), at least one SDM element was documented. Most often this concerned team talk (61.6 %). Considerably less often option talk (4.3 %) and decision talk (12.8 %) were documented. SDM elements were more frequently documented in patients with lower comorbidity scores and patients with a relatively high number of consultations. Decision talk was more frequently documented in referred patients.

Patients' and significant others' needs, goals, and wishes on diagnostic testing for dementia are often documented in EPRs.

Limited documentation of option and decision talk stresses the need for future SDM interventions to facilitate timely dementia diagnosis.