Shared decision-making endorses intention to follow through treatment or vaccination recommendations: a multi-method survey study among older adults

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have shown that shared decision-making (SDM) between a practitioner and a patient strengthens the ideal of treatment adherence. This study employed a multi-method approach to SDM in healthcare to reinforce the theoretical and methodological grounds of this argument. As the study design, self-reported survey items and experimental vignettes were combined in one electronic questionnaire. This technique aimed to analyze the effects of previous experiences and the current preferences regarding SDM on the intentions to follow-through with the medical recommendations.

METHOD

Using quantitative data collected from the members of the Finnish Pensioners' Federation (N = 1610), this study focused on the important and growing population of older adults as healthcare consumers. Illustrated vignettes were used in the evaluation of expected adherence to both vaccination and the treatment of an illness, depending on the decision-making style varying among the repeated scenarios. In a within-subjects study design, each study subject acted as their own control.

RESULTS

The findings demonstrated that SDM correlates with expected adherence to a treatment and vaccination. Both the retrospective experiences and prospective aspirations of SDM in clinical encounters supported the patients' expected adherence to vaccination and treatment while decreasing the probability of pseudo-compliance. The association between SDM and expected adherence was not affected by the perceived health of the respondents. However, the associations among the expected adherence and decision-making styles were found to differ between the treatment and vaccination scenarios.

CONCLUSIONS

SDM enables expected treatment adherence among older adults. Thus, the multi-method study emphasizes the importance of SDM in various healthcare encounters. The findings further imply that SDM research benefits from questionnaires combining self-report methods and experimental study designs. Further cross-validation studies using various types of written and illustrated scenarios are encouraged.

Why to test for dementia: perspectives of patients, significant others and general practitioners

BACKGROUND

This study aims to provide greater insight into the current decision-making process on diagnostic testing for dementia by exploring the expectations, needs and experiences of patients with memory complaints, significant others and general practitioners (GPs).

METHODS

We performed semi-structured interviews with patients (>60 years) who consulted their GP on memory complaints, significant others and GPs. Participants were recruited until data saturation was reached in thematic analysis of interview transcripts.

RESULTS

We performed 51 interviews (patients n = 20, significant others n = 15, GPs n = 16). Thematic analysis revealed four themes: (i) 'drivers to (not) testing', i.e. need to act on symptoms, beliefs on the necessity and expected outcomes of diagnostic testing; (ii) 'patient preferences and context are critical in the actual decision', i.e. in the actual decision-making process interpretation of symptoms, GPs' desire to meet patient preferences, social context and healthcare system dynamics guided the decision; (iii) 'need for individualised communication in the decision-making process', i.e. for patients feeling heard was a prerequisite for decision-making and GPs tailored communication strategies to individual patients and (iv) 'GP practice and barriers to shared decision-making (SDM)', i.e. although GPs value SDM in the decision on diagnostic testing for dementia, patients express limited awareness of the decision and options at stake.

CONCLUSIONS

Decision-making on diagnostic testing for dementia is a multifactorial and preference-guided process for all involved stakeholders, but decisions are often not explicitly jointly made. Development of patient decision aids could facilitate better involvement and more informed choices by patients.

Experiences of shared decision making in acute hospitals: A mixed methods secondary analysis of the Irish National Inpatient Experience Survey

INTRODUCTION

This study explored patient experiences of shared decision making (SDM) in public acute hospitals in Ireland.

METHODS

Quantitative and qualitative data from three years of the Irish National Inpatient Experience Survey were analysed. Survey questions were mapped to definitions of SDM and subjected to principal components analysis. Three SDM subscales (care on the ward; treatments; discharge) and one overall SDM scale were created. Differences in experiences of SDM by aspects of care and patient group were assessed. Thematic analysis of qualitative responses was undertaken.

RESULTS

39,453 patients participated in the survey. The mean SDM experience score was 7.60 ± 2.43. Experience scores were highest on the treatments sub-scale, and lowest during discharge. Patients who had a non-emergency admission, those aged 51-80 years and men had more positive experiences than other groups. Patient comments highlighted that opportunities to clarify information and facilitation of families/caregivers in SDM were found to be lacking.

CONCLUSION

There were differences in experiences of SDM by aspects of care and patient group.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Efforts to improve SDM in acute hospitals are required, particularly at the time of discharge. SDM may be improved by facilitation of more time for discussion between clinicians and patients and/or their families/caregivers.

Patients' and healthcare professionals' perceived facilitators and barriers for shared decision-making for frail and elderly patients in perioperative care: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Shared decision-making (SDM) in perioperative care, is an organizational approach to instituting sharing of information and decision-making around surgery. It aims at enabling patient autonomy and patient-centered care. Frail and elderly patients suffering from multiple health conditions and increased surgical vulnerability might particularly benefit from SDM. However, little is known about the facilitators and barriers to implementing SDM in perioperative care for the specific needs of frail and elderly patients. Our objective is twofold: First, we aim at collecting, analyzing, categorizing, and communicating facilitators and barriers. Second, we aim at collecting and mapping conceptual approaches and methods employed in determining and analyzing these facilitators and barriers.

METHODS

The search strategy focused on peer-reviewed studies. We employed a taxonomy which is based on the SPIDER framework and added the items general article information, stakeholder, barriers/facilitators, category, subcategory, and setting/contextual information. This taxonomy is based on preceding reviews. The scoping review is reported under the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. Based on the databases MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science, we screened 984 articles, identified, and reviewed 13 original studies.

RESULTS

Within this review, two primary facilitators concerning patients' willingness to participate in SDM emerged: Patients want to be informed on their medical condition and procedures. Patients prefer sharing decisions with healthcare professionals, compared to decision-making solely by patients or decision-making solely by healthcare professionals. Communication issues and asymmetric power relationships between patients and clinical healthcare professionals are barriers to SDM. Regarding the methodological approaches, the evaluation of the conceptual approaches demonstrates that the selected articles lack employing a distinct theoretical framework. Second, the selected studies mainly used surveys and interviews, observational studies, like ethnographic or video-based studies are absent.

CONCLUSION

Diverging findings perceived by patients or clinical healthcare professionals were identified. These imply that SDM research related to elderly and frail patients should become more encompassing by employing research that incorporates theory-based qualitative analysis, and observational studies of SDM consultations for understanding practices by patients and clinical healthcare professionals. Observational studies are particularly relevant as these were not conducted.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

https://osf.io/8fjnb/.

Shared Decision Making Among Older Adults With Advanced CKD

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE

Older adults with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) face difficult decisions about dialysis initiation. Although shared decision making (SDM) can help align patient preferences and values with treatment options, the extent to which older patients with CKD experience SDM remains unknown.

STUDY DESIGN

A cross-sectional analysis of patient surveys examining decisional readiness, treatment options education, care partner support, and SDM.

SETTING & PARTICIPANTS

Adults aged 70 years or older from Boston, Chicago, San Diego, or Portland (Maine) with nondialysis advanced CKD.

PREDICTORS

Decisional readiness factors, treatment options education, and care partner support.

OUTCOMES

Primary: SDM measured by the 9-item Shared Decision Making Questionnaire (SDM-Q-9) instrument, with higher scores reflecting greater SDM. Exploratory: Factors associated with SDM.

ANALYTICAL APPROACH

We used multivariable linear regression models to examine the associations between SDM and predictors, controlling for demographic and health factors.

RESULTS

Among 350 participants, mean age was 78 ± 6 years, 58% were male, 13% identified as Black, and 48% had diabetes. Mean SDM-Q-9 score was 52 ± 28. SDM item agreement ranged from 41% of participants agreeing that "my doctor and I selected a treatment option together" to 73% agreeing that "my doctor told me that there are different options for treating my medical condition." In multivariable analysis adjusted for demographic characteristics, lower estimated glomerular filtration rate, and diabetes, being "well informed" and "very well informed" about kidney treatment options, having higher decisional certainty, and attendance at a kidney treatment options class were independently associated with higher SDM-Q-9 scores.

LIMITATIONS

The cross-sectional study design limits the ability to make temporal associations between SDM and the predictors.

CONCLUSIONS

Many older patients with CKD do not experience SDM when making dialysis decisions, emphasizing the need for greater access to and delivery of education for individuals with advanced CKD.

Exploring the barriers to pregnant women’s engagement in the childbirth process from Iranian midwives’ point of view: A qualitative study

Purpose:

Pregnant women’s engagement in the childbirth process increases their satisfaction with childbirth, and in turn leads to a reduction in the frequency of cesarean sections and adverse pregnancy consequences. This study aimed to explore the barriers to pregnant women’s engagement in the childbirth process based on midwives' perspective.

Methods:

This qualitative study was conducted on 24 midwives working in Urmia hospitals in 2019. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth individual interviews with the midwives. The participants were selected through purposeful sampling. Data analysis was performed using conventional content analysis with MAXQDA 10.

Results:

Analysis of the data resulted in two main categories “weakness of pregnant women’s participatory culture” (negative attitude of healthcare staff towards pregnant women’s engagement, ineffective relationships, insufficient engagement in respectful care, lack of pregnant women’s awareness of their rights and low health literacy of the pregnant women, and “managerial factors” (neglect of physiological childbirth aspects and hospital rules).

Conclusion:

Pregnant women’s participation in childbirth can be enhanced by promoting pregnant women’s participatory culture by making mothers aware of their rights and providing in-service training for healthcare staff to observe the rights and dignity of pregnant women. Moreover, the promotion of physiological childbirth and the correction of hospital rules can promote pregnant women’s engagement in childbirth.

Reablement professionals' perspectives on client characteristics and factors associated with successful home-based reablement: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

To understand what is needed to achieve a successful Danish home-based reablement service from the perspective of reablement professionals.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews and observations were conducted with nine professionals within a municipal visitation unit in the Northern Denmark Region. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the interviews.

RESULTS

Four major themes emerged during this study: "Heterogeneity of clients and mixed attitudes towards the reablement intervention", "Shared understanding and acknowledging the need for help as the first step in reablement", "Commitment and motivation are essential for successful reablement", and "Homecare helpers as most important team players". The findings indicate that the clients had both mixed characteristics and attitudes about participating in the reablement intervention. Essential factors for successful reablement included a shared understanding of the reablement intervention, commitment, and motivation in terms of client involvement and staff group collaboration.

CONCLUSIONS

Shared understanding of the reablement intervention, commitment, and motivation was found to be essential factors and the driving forces in relation to successful reablement.

Barriers and facilitators linked to discharge destination following inpatient rehabilitation after traumatic brain injury in older adults: a qualitative study

PURPOSE

To identify facilitators and barriers associated with returning home for older adults having received inpatient rehabilitation after traumatic brain injury (TBI).

METHODS

A qualitative design was used. Five older patients with TBI and four family caregivers were interviewed and six healthcare professionals participated in a focus group.

RESULTS

Main facilitators to returning home highlighted by all participants were: (1) Patient's adequate health condition and functional status, (2) Access to health and other services at home, (3) Availability of help from a family caregiver. Conversely, if one of these factors was not met, it represented a barrier. Other facilitators identified were (4) Attachment to one's home, (5) Feeling of commitment toward a loved one, (6) Having the possibility of going through a transitional phase, (7) United front between the patient and the family caregiver towards a return home. Additional barriers to returning home included: (8) Incongruent perspectives, and (9) Unclear knowledge about available health and other services at home.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study could be translated into a practical tool to guide patients, families and professionals in the decision about returning home or exploring an alternative option after inpatient rehabilitation for TBI in older adults.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONWhen orienting an older patient home or to an alternative living environment after a traumatic brain injury (TBI), the perspective of rehabilitation professionals can differ from that of patients and caregivers.Professionals tend to emphasize security, whereas patients and caregivers' focus on the well-being associated with home and on the importance of being with their loved one.Integrating the views, values and wishes of older patients with TBI and their caregivers will support a shared decision-making approach for orientation after rehabilitation.

Self-reported risk of stroke and factors associated with underestimation of stroke risk among older adults with atrial fibrillation: the SAGE-AF study

BACKGROUND

Though engaging patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) in understanding their stroke risk is encouraged by guidelines, little is known regarding AF patients' perceived stroke risk or its relationship with oral anticoagulation (OAC) use. We aim to identify factors associated with underestimation of stroke risk among older patients with AF and relate this to OAC use.

METHODS

Data are from the ongoing SAGE (Systematic Assessment of Geriatric Elements)-AF study, which included older patients (> 65 years) with non-valvular AF and a CHA₂DS₂-VASc score of ≥ 2. Participants reported their perceived risk of having a stroke without OAC. We compared the perceived risk to CHA₂DS₂-VASc predicted stroke risk and classified participants as "over" or "under" estimators, and identified factors associated with underestimation of risk using multiple logistic regression.

RESULTS

The average CHA₂DS₂-VASc score of 915 participants (average age: 75 years, 47% female, 86% white) was 4.3 ± 1.6, 43% of participants had discordant predicted and self-reported stroke risks. Among the 376 participants at highest risk (CHA₂DS₂-VASc score ≥ 5), 46% of participants underestimated their risk. Older participants (≥ 85 years) were more likely and OAC treated patients less likely to underestimate their risk of developing a future stroke than respective comparison groups.

CONCLUSIONS

A significant proportion of study participants misperceived their stroke risk, mostly by overestimating. Almost half of participants at high risk of stroke underestimated their risk, with older patients more likely to do so. Patients on OAC were less likely to underestimate their risk, suggesting that successful efforts to educate patients about their stroke risk may influence treatment choices.

Ideal and reality; Community healthcare professionals' experiences of user-involvement in reablement

Many welfare states offer reablement, also known as restorative care, as an intervention to promote healthy ageing and support older adults in regaining or maintaining their independence in daily life. Reablement is a time-limited, intensive, multidisciplinary, person-centred and goal-directed rehabilitative intervention. Reablement emanates from the user's goals, thus user-involvement is a key factor. The aim of our study was to explore healthcare professionals' experiences of user-involvement in reablement. The context for the study was an urban municipality in south-eastern Norway where reablement had been implemented into home-care services 1.5 years prior to the study. Eighteen healthcare professionals recruited from home-care services participated in focus groups. The material was analysed using qualitative content analysis. The findings resulted in one main theme: Transforming user-involvement from ideal to reality-a demanding process, and four sub-themes: (a) An ideal of self-determination and co-operation; (b) Diverse ability to commit to what user-involvement requires; (c) Continuous co-creation processes; and (d) Challenged by old traditions. User-involvement is a valued ideal that professionals strive towards when providing healthcare. Two main strategies that professionals use to enable user-involvement were identified here: spending sufficient time and having patience with users during the initial stage of an intervention, and starting an intervention by introducing small tasks that users can master. It was also seen that if the time and arenas for interdisciplinary meetings were lacking, professionals could demonstrate traditional attitudes and practice when faced with limited user-involvement in the intervention. There is a need for follow-up over time at the structural, personal, and cultural levels to develop reablement as an intervention with a strong person-centred approach. The findings of this study have relevance for practice development in several reablement settings.

Discussions about evidence and preferences in real-life general practice consultations with older patients

OBJECTIVES

To explore how decisions are made in real-life general practice consultations with older patients (65+ years), and examine how general practitioners (GPs) communicate risk and benefit information and evidence, and integrate patient preferences.

METHODS

Secondary analysis of 20 video-recorded consultations with older patients in Australian primary healthcare settings. Consultations were analysed qualitatively using the Framework method and quantitatively using the Observer OPTION⁵ scale and the Assessing Communication about Evidence and Patient Preferences (ACEPP) tool.

RESULTS

Overall, Observer OPTION⁵ and ACEPP scores were low, with mean total scores of 11.3 (out of 100) and 10.4 (out of 40) respectively. Together with qualitative findings, these results suggest that shared decision-making did not occur, and that healthcare options (including anticipated benefits and risks), evidence and patient preferences were rarely discussed in our sample of consultations with older people. GPs often unilaterally made treatment decisions (usually pharmacotherapy) while patients reverted to a passive decision-making role.

CONCLUSION

We observed a lack of shared decision-making in our primary care study, with little engagement of older patients in decisions about their health.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Training and support tools may be needed to enhance the capacity and self-efficacy of providers and older patients to share healthcare decisions.

Supporting shared decision-making for older people with multiple health and social care needs: a realist synthesis

Background

Health-care systems are increasingly moving towards more integrated approaches. Shared decision-making (SDM) is central to these models but may be complicated by the need to negotiate and communicate decisions between multiple providers, as well as patients and their family carers; this is particularly the case for older people with complex needs.

Objectives

To provide a context-relevant understanding of how models to facilitate SDM might work for older people with multiple health and care needs and how they might be applied to integrated care models.

Design

Realist synthesis following Realist and Meta-narrative Evidence Syntheses: Evolving Standards (RAMESES) publication standards.

Participants

Twenty-four stakeholders took part in interviews.

Data sources

Electronic databases including MEDLINE (via PubMed), The Cochrane Library, Scopus, Google and Google Scholar (Google Inc., Mountain View, CA, USA). Lateral searches were also carried out. All types of evidence were included.

Review methods

Iterative stakeholder-driven, three-stage approach, involving (1) scoping of the literature and stakeholder interviews (n = 13) to develop initial programme theory/ies, (2) systematic searches for evidence to test and develop the theories and (3) validation of programme theory/ies with stakeholders (n = 11).

Results

We included 88 papers, of which 29 focused on older people or people with complex needs. We identified four theories (context–mechanism–outcome configurations) that together provide an account of what needs to be in place for SDM to work for older people with complex needs: understanding and assessing patient and carer values and capacity to access and use care; organising systems to support and prioritise SDM; supporting and preparing patients and family carers to engage in SDM; and a person-centred culture of which SDM is a part. Programmes likely to be successful in promoting SDM are those that create trust between those involved, allow service users to feel that they are respected and understood, and engender confidence to engage in SDM.

Limitations

There is a lack of evidence on interventions to promote SDM in older people with complex needs or on interprofessional approaches to SDM.

Conclusions

Models of SDM for older people with complex health and care needs should be conceptualised as a series of conversations that patients, and their family carers, may have with a variety of different health and care professionals. To embed SDM in practice requires a shift from a biomedical focus to a more person-centred ethos. Service providers are likely to need support, both in terms of the way services are organised and delivered and in terms of their own continuing professional development. Older people with complex needs may need support to engage in SDM. How this support is best provided needs further exploration, although face-to-face interactions and ongoing patient–professional relationships are key.

Future work

There is a need for further work to establish how organisational structures can be better aligned to meet the requirements of older people with complex needs. This includes a need to define and evaluate the contribution that different members of health and care teams can make to SDM for older people with complex health and care needs.

Study registration

This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42016039013.

Funding

The National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme.

Shared decision making with frail older patients: Proposed teaching framework and practice recommendations

This study has two aims: The first aim is to identify core competencies for shared decision making (SDM) with frail older persons, and the second is to determine key elements of a teaching framework, based on the authors' recently developed model for SDM with older patients who are frail. To this end the authors conducted a qualitative inquiry among health professionals (n = 53) and older patients who are frail (n = 16). Participants formulated core competencies and educational needs for SDM with older patients who are frail, which were further explored in the literature. This resulted in practice recommendations and a teaching framework with the following key elements: create a knowledge base for all health professionals, offer practical training, facilitate communication, identify discussion partners, engage patients, and collaborate. The authors' teaching framework for SDM with older patients who are frail may be useful for clinicians, educators, and researchers who aim to promote SDM with older patients who are frail.