Global trends in oncology shared decision-making and advance care planning: bibliometric study

Shared decision-making (SDM) and advance care planning (ACP) are crucial in oncology for optimising patient-centred care, supporting families and improving end-of-life care. Bibliometric analysis provides a valuable tool to assess scientific trends, identify research gaps and inform the field's evolution in oncology.

To conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of global trends in SDM and ACP in oncology.

A systematic bibliometric review was performed, analysing variables such as author, publication year, country, study type, sample size, publication type, citations, funding, coauthors and international collaboration. Descriptors were used in article titles, abstracts and keywords. VOSviewer (V.1.6.20) software was employed for bibliographic coupling and journal analysis.

A total of 3039 articles were identified, of which 252 met the inclusion criteria. Publications showed a marked increase after 2014, with 139 papers published between 2019 and 2023. The majority of studies originated from the USA (n=109; 41.7%), followed by the Netherlands (n=31; 12.3%) and the UK (n=19; 7.5%). Cross-sectional studies were predominant (n=92; 36.5%), whereas clinical trials accounted for only 27 publications (10.7%) and systematic reviews for 30 (11.9%). International collaboration was present in 19% of the studies.

The study indicates a steady increase in SDM and ACP-related publications in oncology, particularly after 2014. While research is predominantly from high-income countries, there is a need for more international collaboration and support for under-represented regions. Despite widespread support for SDM and ACP, the limited number of high-quality studies hinders their clinical implementation. Future research should prioritise randomised controlled trials and systematic reviews with diverse populations to bolster evidence on their efficacy.