Assessment of shared decision-making from the patient’s perspective

Objectives: To determine to which extent shared decision-making (SDM) is perceived in Saudi hospitals, and assess the willingness of the patients to participate in medical care decision making.

Methods: A cross sectional study using a non-probability technique (convenience sample) was carried out between March and April 2013 in a tertiary hospital among patients attending the Family and Community Medicine Department, and those who visited the Admission Office in the Surgery Department of Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We distributed our questionnaires using a non probability technique. Out of 450 questionnaires distributed, 327 were valid and coded in the data. To assess the decision making process between the patient’s and physicians we used a standardized international scale called shared decision-making (SDM-9) items.‎ The data was then entered and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 18 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL, USA). Verbal approval was obtained from the correspondents to participate in this study.

Results: The sample represents patients mostly from the middle age group, range between 26-45 years, well-educated, and from the middle socio-economic group. The study shows a high score of SDM, ranging between 4.40 ± 1.3 to the highest score of 4.60 ± 1.1. The total dimension scores was 4.54 ± 0.84. The results also show a high degree of willingness ‎to participate in decision making (4.98 ± 0.9), and a desire, expressed by patients, to be aware of their health condition (5.02 ± 0.91). Almost all the participants agreed to utilize other communication facilities, such as mobile applications, Twitter, and others (5.16 ± 0.9).

Conclusion: The level of SDM was highly fulfilled by the perception of patients in our sample. Additionally, the patients also look for other effective communication facilities, enhanced, and developed by the management of the hospital.