Learning shared decision making in undergraduate medical education: a realist review

Extract from article:

Shared decision making (SDM) is a collaborative process, where both physician and patient exchange their own perceptions and expertise to inform evidence-based decisions about care to fit the patient’s needs (Barry & Edgman-Levitan,2012; Charles et al.,1997). SDM is also a complex process. It requires the integration of communication skills, medical knowledge, evidence-based practice, clinical judgment, the ability to manage uncertainty, creativity and a person-centered attitude, among others (Pieterse et al.,2023).

Policy makers increasingly perceive SDM as desirable, as can be deduced from its growing inclusion as a fundamental patient right in national health care legislations (Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS - GOV.UK,n.d.; Justel Databank,n.d.; Hahlweg et al.,2022; Omsorgsdepartementet,2019). There are many reasons for that. SDM is internationally seen as good clinical practice and an ethical imperative, respecting patients’ autonomy and aligning care with individual values and preferences (Ba et al.,2013)....