'A return on investment'. How shared decision-making benefits doctors: a key informant interview study

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Health Professions Education
• Patient-Centered Care

Background:

• Shared decision-making (SDM) is crucial for patient-centered care.
• Understanding the benefits of SDM for physicians is essential for its widespread adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the perceived benefits of SDM from the perspective of physician champions.
• To identify intrinsic and consequential advantages of SDM for doctors, patients, and healthcare teams.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative interview study utilizing practical thematic analysis.
• Purposive international sampling of 24 physician champions across diverse clinical disciplines and practice durations.

Main Results:

• Physician champions reported enhanced professional identity, increased fulfillment, and reduced burnout.
• SDM led to better-informed patient decisions, improved outcomes, and enhanced team efficiency.
• Physicians perceived SDM as fostering connectedness, shared responsibility, and mitigating moral injury.

Conclusions:

• Physician champions of SDM experience significant personal and professional benefits.
• Highlighting these benefits, particularly professional fulfillment and protective effects, may motivate wider SDM adoption.
• Focusing on positive impacts, rather than communication deficits, could be more effective in promoting SDM.