In Absentia: an Exploratory Study of How Patients are Considered in Multidisciplinary Cancer Team Meetings

Background: Multidisciplinary team meetings and shared decision-making are potential means of delivering patient-centred care. Not much is known about how those two paradigms fit together in cancer care. This study aimed to investigate how decisions are made in multidisciplinary team meetings and whether patient perspectives are incorporated in these decisions. Materials and Methods: A qualitative study was conducted using non-participant observation at multidisciplinary team meetings (also called tumor boards) at the University Cancer Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany. Two researchers recorded structured field notes from a total of N = 15 multidisciplinary team meetings. Data were analyzed using content analysis and descriptive statistics. Results: Physicians mainly exchanged medical information and based their decision-making on this information. Individual patient characteristics or their treatment preferences were rarely considered or discussed. In the few cases where patient preferences were raised as a topic, this information did not seem to be taken into account in decision-making processes about treatment recommendations. Conclusion: The processes in multidisciplinary team meetings we observed did not exhibit shared decision-making. Patient perspectives were absent. If multidisciplinary team meetings wish to become more patient-centred they will have to modify their processes and find a way to include patient preferences into the decision-making process

Shared decision-making in physical therapy: a cross-sectional study on physiotherapists' knowledge, attitudes and self-reported use

Objective: This study aimed a) to investigate knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported use of shared decision-making (SDM) among physiotherapists in Germany, b) to explore their association with demographic characteristics, and c) to assess barriers to the implementation of SDM. Methods: We assessed above mentioned domains using an online survey. Two-level logistic regression models were used to examine factors associated with knowledge, attitudes and self-reported use of SDM. Results: 60.5% of a total sample of 357 participants reported to have had no knowledge on SDM before participating in the survey. Attitudes towards SDM were mostly positive, half of all participants expressed a preference for SDM. About two thirds of all participants reported to use a rather paternalistic approach in routine care. Knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported use of SDM were associated with several demographic characteristics. Conclusion: SDM was perceived as an appropriate concept in physiotherapy. However, missing knowledge and limited self-reported use of SDM in routine care on the one hand and positive attitudes towards SDM on the other hand indicate a need for action. Practice implications: In order to emphasize the use of SDM in physiotherapy efforts need to be undertaken in research, clinical practice and health policy

Application of the skills network approach to measure physician competence in shared decision making based on self-assessment.

Several approaches to and definitions of 'shared decision making' (SDM) exist, which makes measurement challenging. Recently, a skills network approach was proposed, which conceptualizes SDM competence as an organized network of interacting SDM skills. With this approach, it was possible to accurately predict observer-rated SDM competence of physicians from the patients' assessments of the physician's SDM skills. The aim of this study was to assess whether using the skills network approach allows to predict observer-rated SDM competence of physicians from their self-reported SDM skills. We conducted a secondary data analysis of an observational study, in which outpatient care physicians rated their use of SDM skills with the physician version of the 9-item Shared Decision Making Questionnaire (SDM-Q-Doc) during consultations with chronically ill adult patients. Based on the estimated association of each skill with all other skills, an SDM skills network for each physician was constructed. Network parameters were used to predict observer-rated SDM competence, which was determined from audio-recorded consultations using three widely used measures (OPTION-12, OPTION-5, Four Habits Coding Scheme). In our study, 28 physicians rated consultations with 308 patients. The skill 'deliberating the decision' was central in the population skills network averaged across physicians. The correlation between parameters of the skills networks and observer-rated competence ranged from 0.65 to 0.82 across analyses. The use and connectedness of the skill 'eliciting treatment preference of the patient' showed the strongest unique association with observer-rated competence. Thus, we found evidence that processing SDM skill ratings from the physicians' perspective according to the skills network approach offers new theoretically and empirically grounded opportunities for the assessment of SDM competence. A feasible and robust measurement of SDM competence is essential for research on SDM and can be applied for evaluating SDM competence during medical education, for training evaluation, and for quality management purposes. [A plain language summary of the study is available at https://osf.io/3wy4v.]

Organizational- and system-level characteristics that influence implementation of shared decision-making and strategies to address them — a scoping review

Abstract Background Shared decision-making (SDM) is poorly implemented in routine care, despite being promoted by health policies. No reviews have solely focused on an in-depth synthesis of the literature around organizational- and system-level characteristics (i.e., characteristics of healthcare organizations and of healthcare systems) that may affect SDM implementation. A synthesis would allow exploration of interventions to address these characteristics. The study aim was to compile a comprehensive overview of organizational- and system-level characteristics that are likely to influence the implementation of SDM, and to describe strategies to address those characteristics described in the literature. Methods We conducted a scoping review using the Arksey and O’Malley framework. The search strategy included an electronic search and a secondary search including gray literature. We included publications reporting on projects that promoted implementation of SDM or other decision support interventions in routine healthcare. We screened titles and abstracts, and assessed full texts for eligibility. We used qualitative thematic analysis to identify organizational- and system-level characteristics. Results After screening 7745 records and assessing 354 full texts for eligibility, 48 publications on 32 distinct implementation projects were included. Most projects (N = 22) were conducted in the USA. Several organizational-level characteristics were described as influencing the implementation of SDM, including organizational leadership, culture, resources, and priorities, as well as teams and workflows. Described system-level characteristics included policies, clinical guidelines, incentives, culture, education, and licensing. We identified potential strategies to influence the described characteristics, e.g., examples how to facilitate distribution of decision aids in a healthcare institution. Conclusions Although infrequently studied, organizational- and system-level characteristics appear to play a role in the failure to implement SDM in routine care. A wide range of characteristics described as supporting and inhibiting implementation were identified. Future studies should assess the impact of these characteristics on SDM implementation more thoroughly, quantify likely interactions, and assess how characteristics might operate across types of systems and areas of healthcare. Organizations that wish to support the adoption of SDM should carefully consider the role of organizational- and system-level characteristics. Implementation and organizational theory could provide useful guidance for how to address facilitators and barriers to change

Process quality of decision-making in multidisciplinary cancer team meetings: a structured observational study

Abstract Background The quality of decision-making in multidisciplinary team meetings (MDTMs) depends on the quality of information presented and the quality of team processes. Few studies have examined these factors using a standardized approach. The aim of this study was to objectively document the processes involved in decision-making in MDTMs, document the outcomes in terms of whether a treatment recommendation was given (none vs. singular vs. multiple), and to identify factors related to type of treatment recommendation. Methods An adaptation of the observer rating scale Multidisciplinary Tumor Board Metric for the Observation of Decision-Making (MDT-MODe) was used to assess the quality of the presented information and team processes in MDTMs. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and mixed logistic regression analysis. Results N = 249 cases were observed in N = 29 MDTMs. While cancer-specific medical information was judged to be of high quality, psychosocial information and information regarding patient views were considered to be of low quality. In 25% of the cases no, in 64% one, and in 10% more than one treatment recommendations were given (1% missing data). Giving no treatment recommendation was associated with duration of case discussion, duration of the MDTM session, quality of case history, quality of radiological information, and specialization of the MDTM. Higher levels of medical and treatment uncertainty during discussions were found to be associated with a higher probability for more than one treatment recommendation. Conclusions The quality of different aspects of information was observed to differ greatly. In general, we did not find MDTMs to be in line with the principles of patient-centered care. Recommendation outcome varied substantially between different specializations of MDTMs. The quality of certain information was associated with the recommendation outcome. Uncertainty during discussions was related to more than one recommendation being considered. Time constraints were found to play an important role. Some of those aspects seem modifiable, which offers possibilities for the reorganization of MDTMs

Development and content validity of the Experienced Patient‐Centeredness Questionnaire (EPAT)—A best practice example for generating patient‐reported measures from qualitative data

Abstract Introduction To effectively foster patient‐centeredness (PC), it is crucial to measure its implementation. So far, there is no German measure to assess PC comprehensively. The aim of this study is to develop and select items for the Experienced Patient‐Centeredness (EPAT) Questionnaire, a patient‐reported experience measure (PREM). The EPAT intends to assess PC from the perspective of adult patients treated for different chronic diseases in inpatient and outpatient settings in Germany. Furthermore, we aim at providing a best‐practice example for developing PREMs from qualitative data. Methods The development process comprised a three‐phase mixed‐method design: (1) preparation, (2) item generation and (3) item selection and testing of content validity. We generated items using qualitative content analysis based on information from focus groups, key informant interviews and literature search. We selected items using relevance rating and cognitive interviews. Participants were patients from four chronic disease groups (cancer, cardiovascular disease, mental disorder, musculoskeletal disorder) and healthcare experts (e.g., clinicians, researchers, patient representatives). Results We conducted six focus groups with a total of 40 patients, key informant interviews with 10 experts and identified 48 PREMs from international literature. After team discussion, we reached a preliminary pool of 152 items. We conducted a relevance rating with 32 experts and 34 cognitive interviews with 21 patients. We selected 125 items assessing 16 dimensions of PC and showed high relevance and comprehensibility. Conclusions The EPAT questionnaire is currently undergoing psychometric testing. The transparent step‐by‐step report provides a best practice example that other researchers may consider for developing PREMs. Integrating literature and experts with a strong focus on patient feedback ensured good content validity. The EPAT questionnaire will be helpful in assessing PC in routine clinical practice in inpatient and outpatient settings for research and quality improvement. Patient or Public Contribution Patients were not involved as active members of the research team. While developing the funding proposal, we informally reached out to several patient organizations who all gave us positive feedback on the study aims, thereby confirming their relevance. Those patient organizations endorsed the funding proposal with formal letters of support and supported recruitment by disseminating advertisements for study participation

Translation and psychometric evaluation of the German version of the IcanSDM measure – a cross-sectional study among healthcare professionals

Background: Shared decision-making (SDM) between patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs) is a key component of patient-centered care. To implement SDM in clinical practice and to evaluate its effects, it is helpful to know about HCPs' perception of SDM barriers. The measure IcanSDM was developed in Canada and assesses the perception of SDM barriers. To our knowledge, no equivalent measure exists in German. Therefore, the aim of this study was to translate and adapt the IcanSDM measure to be used by a German-speaking population and evaluate its psychometric properties. Methods: This is a cross-sectional psychometric study based on a secondary analysis of baseline data from a SDM implementation study. The original 8-item IcanSDM was translated into German using a team translation protocol. We assessed comprehensibility via cognitive interviews with n =11 HCPs. Based on results of cognitive interviews, the translated IcanSDM version was revised. Two hundred forty-two HCPs filled out the measure. Psychometric analysis included acceptance (completion rate), item characteristics (response distribution, skewness, item difficulties, corrected item-total correlations, inter-item correlations), factorial structure (confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), model fit), and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha).Results: We translated and adapted the German IcanSDM successfully except for item 8, which had to be revised after the cognitive interviews. Completion rate was 98%. Skewness of the items ranged between -.797 and 1.25, item difficulties ranged between 21.63 and 70.85, corrected item-total-correlations ranged between .200 and .475, inter-item correlations ranged between .005 and .412. Different models based on CFA results did not provide a valid factorial structure. Cronbach's alpha ranged between .563 and .651 for different factor models. Conclusion: We provide the first German measure for assessing perception of SDM barriers by HCPs. The German IcanSDM is a brief measure with good acceptance. However, we found unsatisfying psychometric properties, which were comparable to results of the original scale. In a next step, the IcanSDM should be further developed and modified and predictive validity should be evaluated

Additional file 1: of Organizational- and system-level characteristics that influence implementation of shared decision-making and strategies to address them — a scoping review

Protocol. (PDF 129 kb

Additional file 2: of Organizational- and system-level characteristics that influence implementation of shared decision-making and strategies to address them — a scoping review

Electronic searches. (PDF 24 kb