Navigating prostate cancer together: Partner involvement in shared decision-making

Area of Science:

• Medical Sociology
• Health Psychology
• Patient-Centered Care

Background:

• Relatives frequently participate in patient medical decision-making.
• Meaningful involvement of relatives can improve patient adherence, safety, and overall experience.
• The role of relatives in Shared Decision-Making (SDM) is under-researched.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine perceptions of meaningful partner involvement in medical decision-making.
• Focus on hospital consultations with prostate cancer patients.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study with 72 participants (doctors, nurses, patients, relatives).
• Data collected via field notes, focus groups, interviews, and workshop responses.
• Hermeneutic-phenomenological approach to explore lived experiences.

Main Results:

• Partners fulfill crucial roles: listening, remembering, taking responsibility, and being supportive.
• Partners and patients exhibit diverse mindsets in decision-making: 'worried and skeptical,' 'positive,' 'need for knowledge,' or 'reserved.'

Conclusions:

• Partners are integral to a patient's illness journey and decision-making.
• Healthcare providers must acknowledge and address relatives' needs during consultations.
• Findings are applicable to enhancing decision-making conversations in various medical contexts.