Examining How Technology Supports Shared Decision-Making in Oncology Consultations: Qualitative Thematic Analysis

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Oncology
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Digital health technologies offer potential for enhancing shared decision-making (SDM) in cancer care.
• However, limited evidence exists on their effective design and integration into clinical workflows for SDM.
• SDM is a collaborative process requiring nonintrusive technologies that support human interaction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine how digital technologies can assist cancer care professionals in improving SDM during oncology consultations.
• To gather insights from healthcare professionals on optimizing digital tool use for SDM.

Main Methods:

• Online co-design focus groups and interviews were conducted with 9 cancer care professionals.
• Qualitative thematic analysis was applied to transcribed session recordings.
• The 3-talk SDM model (team talk, option talk, decision talk) guided the framework and workflow discussions.

Main Results:

• Digital technologies like EHRs and patient portals are used to enhance patient understanding of cancer and treatment options.
• Current digital systems often hinder SDM due to poor design, data integration, and interoperability issues.
• Emerging technologies, including generative AI, show promise for automating information sharing and facilitating SDM.

Conclusions:

• Digital technologies hold potential to significantly impact SDM in oncology, but this is not yet fully realized.
• Substantial modifications are needed to optimize digital tools for person-centered SDM.
• Technology complements, but cannot replace, the essential human communication and multidisciplinary team support in SDM.