Honoring Informed Consent and Shared Decision-Making: Ethical Considerations

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Health Communication
• Patient-Centered Care

Background:

• The medical field has shifted from paternalism towards patient autonomy over 40 years.
• Shared decision-making (SDM) is defined as a collaborative process integrating physician expertise with patient values for treatment choices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the evolution and current state of shared decision-making in clinical practice.
• To identify facilitators and challenges impacting the SDM process.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of medical ethics and patient-centered care principles.
• Analysis of definitions and conceptual frameworks of shared decision-making.
• Discussion of tools supporting SDM, such as patient decision aids and ethics consultations.

Main Results:

• SDM emphasizes the integration of medical expertise and patient values in treatment decisions.
• Patient decision aids and ethics consultations can facilitate SDM.
• Physician challenges include managing patient participation levels and differing perspectives.

Conclusions:

• Shared decision-making is an evolving, collaborative process requiring continuous patient engagement.
• Emerging challenges include the influence of the internet, social media, AI, and ethical conflicts.
• Adapting to patient autonomy and diverse needs is essential for effective SDM.