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Project

Integrating shared decision making in Belgian clinical practice

Shared decision making (SDM) is a model in which patients and clinicians work together to reach a decision about care, based on the available treatment options and patients’ preferences. SDM is seen as an ideal model for treatment decision-making that may lead to higher quality decisions and better health outcomes. SDM can be facilitated with patient decision aids (PtDAs) resulting in increased patients’ knowledge and decreased decisional conflict. Despite clear benefits and initiatives in other countries, Belgium is lagging behind, with no policy and research initiatives that systematically aim to integrate SDM in clinical practice. Therefore, the goal of this research is to provide a supportive framework. Hence, this project will consist of three parts: i) stakeholder interviews and survey to investigate the knowledge, perceptions, barriers, and current implementation of SDM in Belgian clinical practice, ii) a randomized controlled trial to assess how a PtDA is perceived by stakeholders in clinical practice and to determine how these interventions could be implemented within our healthcare system, and iii) a Delphi panel to formulate concrete, implementable recommendations including incentive models to increase implementation of SDM in Belgian clinical practice. In conclusion, this project will pave the way to integrate SDM in Belgian clinical practice, leading to more informed patient preference-based decisions and cost-effective, patient-aligned healthcare.

Date:10 Sep 2021 →  Today
Keywords:Patient preferences, Patient preference studies, PREFER, Patient decision aids, Shared decision making
Disciplines:Health management, Health promotion and policy, Primary health care
Project type:PhD project