Shared decision making in rural general practices:a qualitative exploration of older rural South Australians'perceived involvement in clinical consultations with doctors

Background:Shared decision-making(SDM)implementation is a priority for Australian health systems,including general practices but it remains complex for specific groups like older rural Australians.We initiated a qualitative study with older rural Australians to explore barriers to and facilitators of SDM in local general practices.Methods:We conducted a patient-oriented research,partnering with older rural Australians,families,and health service providers in research design.Participants who visited general practices were purposively sampled from five small rural towns in South Australia.A semi-structured interview guide was used for interviews and reflexive thematic coding was conducted.Results:Telephone interviews were held with 27 participants.Four themes were identified around older rural adults’involvement in SDM:(1)Understanding of"patient involvement";(2)Positive and negative outcomes;(3)Barriers to SDM;and(4)Facilitators to SDM.Understanding of patient involvement in SDM considerably varied among participants,with some reporting their involvement was contingent on the“opportunity to ask questions”and the“treatment choices”offered to them.Alongside the opportunity for involvement,barriers such as avoidance of cultural care and a lack of continuity of care are new findings.Challenges encountered in SDM implementation also included resource constraints and time limitations in general practices.Rural knowledge of general practitioners and technology integration in consultations were viewed as potential enablers..Conclusion:Adequate resources and well-defined guidelines about the process should accompany the implementation of SDM in rural general practices of South Australia.Innovative strategies by general practitioners promoting health literacy and culturally-tailored communication approaches could increase older rural Australians'involvement in general.

Management of gastroesophageal reflux disease: Patient and physician communication challenges and shared decision making

Gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD) is a common upper esophageal condition and typical symptoms can include heartburn and sensation of regurgitation while atypical symptoms include chronic cough, asthma, hoarseness, dyspepsia and nausea. Typically, diag-nosis is presumptive given the presence of typical and atypical symptoms and is an indication for empiric therapy. Treatment management can include lifestyle modifications and/or medication therapy with proton pump inhibitor(PPI) class being the preferred and most effective. Complete symptom resolution is not always achieved and long-term PPI therapy can put patients at risk for serious side effects and needless expense. The brain-gut connection and hypervigilance plays an important role in symptom resolution and treatment success, especially in the case of non-PPI responders. Hypervigilance is a combination of increased esophageal sensory sensitivity in combination with exaggerated threat perception surrounding esophageal symptoms. Hypervigilance requires a different approach to GERD managements, where continued PPI therapy and surgery are usually not recommended. Rather, helping physicians and patients understand the brain-gut connection can guide and improve care.Education and reassurance should be the main pillars or treatment. However, it is important not to suggest the symptoms are due to anxiety alone, this often leads to patient dissatisfaction. Patient dissatisfaction with treatment reveals the need for a more patient-centered approach to GERD management and better communication between patients and providers. Shared decision making(SDM) with the incorporation of patient-reported outcomes(PRO) promotes patient adherence and satisfaction. SDM is a joint discussion between clinician and patient in which a mutually shared solution is explored for GERD symptoms. For SDM to work the physician needs to capture patients' perceptions which may not be obtained in the standard interview. This can be done through the use of PROs which promote a dialogue with patients about their symptoms and treatment priorities in the context of the SDM patient encounter. SDM could potentially help in the management of patient expectations for GERD treatment, ultimately positively impacting their health-related quality of life.

PSA-based prostate cancer screening： the role of active surveillance and informed and shared decision making

Since the first publication describing the identification of prostate-specific antigen （PSA） in the 1960s, much progress has been made. The PSA test changed from being initially a monitoring tool to being also used as a diagnostic tool. Over time, the test has been heavily debated due to its lack of sensitivity and specificity. However, up to now the PSA test is still the only biomarker for the detection and monitoring of prostate cancer. PSA-based screening for prostate cancer is associated with a high proportion of unnecessary testing and overdiagnosis with subsequent overtreatment. In the early years of screening for prostate cancer, high rates of uptake were very important. However, over time the opinion on PSA-based screening has shifted towards the notion of informed choice. Nowadays, it is thought to be unethical to screen men without them being aware of the pros and cons of PSA testing, as well as the fact that an informed choice is related to better patient outcomes. Now, as the results of three major screening studies have been presented and the downsides of screening are becoming better understood, informed choice is becoming more relevant.

Shared decision-making in the management of patients with inflammatory bowel disease

The rapid progress of research into inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)has resulted in increasingly more treatment options.Different options have different advantages and disadvantages,and the preferences of patients may also differ.If patients can be invited to the formulation of medical decision-making,their compliance and satisfaction would be improved,thus possibly achieving better therapeutic results.The present review aims to summarize the current literature on shared decision-making(SDM)in the management of IBD,with the goal of promoting the application of SDM.

Development of a Decision Aid for Family Surrogate Decision Makers of Critically Ill Patients Requiring Renal Replacement Therapy in ICU:A User-Centered Design for Rapid Prototyping

Objectives Renal replacement therapy(RRT)is increasingly adopted for critically ill patients diagnosed with acute kidney injury,but the optimal time for initiation remains unclear and prognosis is uncertain,leading to medical complexity,ethical conflicts,and decision dilemmas in intensive care unit(ICU)settings.This study aimed to develop a decision aid(DA)for the family surrogate of critically ill patients to support their engagement in shared decision-making process with clinicians.Methods Development of DA employed a systematic process with user-centered design(UCD)principle,which included:(i)competitive analysis:searched,screened,and assessed the existing DAs to gather insights for design strategies,developmental techniques,and functionalities;(ii)user needs assessment:interviewed family surrogates in our hospital to explore target user group's decision-making experience and identify their unmet needs;(iii)evidence syntheses:integrate latest clinical evidence and pertinent information to inform the content development of DA.Results The competitive analysis included 16 relevant DAs,from which we derived valuable insights using existing resources.User decision needs were explored among a cohort of 15 family surrogates,revealing four thematic issues in decision-making,including stuck into dilemmas,sense of uncertainty,limited capacity,and delayed decision confirmation.A total of 27 articles were included for evidence syntheses.Relevant decision making knowledge on disease and treatment,as delineated in the literature sourced from decision support system or clinical guidelines,were formatted as the foundational knowledge base.Twenty-one items of evidence were extracted and integrated into the content panels of benefits and risks of RRT,possible outcomes,and reasons to choose.The DA was drafted into a web-based phototype using the elements of UCD.This platform could guide users in their preparation of decision-making through a sequential four-step process:identifying treatment options,weighing the benefits and risks,clarifying personal preferences and values,and formulating a schedule for formal shared decision-making with clinicians.Conclusions We developed a rapid prototype of DA tailored for family surrogate decision makers of critically ill patients in need of RRT in ICU setting.Future studies are needed to evaluate its usability,feasibility,and clinical effects of this intervention.

The concept of narrative evidence-based medicine and shared decision-making in traditional Chinese medical practice

For the explosive development of emerging diagnostic and therapeutic technologies brought by the advancement of precision medicine strategy, shared decision-making could improve the quality of clinical decision-making and promote the transformation of clinical research evidence in TCM. Paying attention to patients＇ narrative needs and strengthening medical humanistic concerns could improve clinical outcome and patient satisfaction. We described the origins and development of evidence-based medicine, narrative medicine and shared decision-making, and analyzed the existing problems in TCM clinical decision-making. Further, we put forward the model of shared decision-making between clinicians and patients under the guidance of narrative evidence-based medicine concepts and methods.

Preferences for participation in shared decision making of psychiatric outpatients with affective disorders

Objective: To assess preferences for participation in shared decision making in a representative sample of psychiatric outpatients with affective disorders and to understand how clinical and socio-demographic variables influence patients’ preferences for participation. Method: A cross-sectional survey of 172 consecutive psychiatric outpatients with affective disorders attending at Community Mental Health Care setting was carried out. Patients expressed preferences on each of 3 aspects of decision making (seeking information, discussing options, making the final decision). The “CGI Severity and Improvement Scales” and the “Beck Depression Inventory” scale were used for severity assessment. Additionally the “Drug Attitude Inventory”, the “Beliefs about Medicine Questionnaire” and the “Leeds Attitude toward Concordance Scale” were applied to all participants. Effects of variables considered on preferences were assessed using proportional odds regression models. Results: We registered a high response rate of 85%. Nearly all patients (91%) preferred to leave final decisions to their treating psychiatrists and 87% preferred to rely on psychiatrists for medical knowledge rather than seeking their own information. In contrast, 81% of patients preferred to be offered options and to be asked their opinion by their doctors. Gender, age, educational level, number of psychotropics used and belief about psychiatric medication overuse were significant predictors in decision making dimensions considered. Conclusion: Shared decision making approach of patients with affective disorder must take into consideration a more doctor-directed approach preferred by the patients in which the desire to be offered options is not automatically linked with the willingness of taking decisions or getting more knowledge.

Older Patients’ Involvement in Shared Decision-Making—A Systematic Review

Shared decision-making has been described as allowing patients to gain more control over their life situation and feel less helpless. The aim of this systematic review was to describe the involvement of older patients in shared decision-making in community settings. In accordance with the systematic review method, a total of 2468 abstracts were read, after which nine quantitative studies were included. A qualitative thematic analysis was performed and two themes emerged;increased understanding of self-management and a desire to strengthen one’s position in relationship with professionals, both of which were essential for empowering older patients to participate in shared decision-making. Older patients’ shared decision-making was seen as a struggle to maintain their autonomy in different areas of everyday life. Emotional and psychological problems made their position more difficult. In order to empower them in relationships with healthcare professionals, older patients require more knowledge (self-efficacy) and information about their illness, which could strengthen their position in the decision-making process. They also need a greater awareness of decisional conflicts that may arise. Age, gender and health status influence older patients’ chance of being respected and taken seriously in relationship with professionals.

Patient’s Perception of Autonomy Support and Shared Decision Making in Physical Therapy

Background: Shared Decision Making (SDM) is primarily intended to enhance patient autonomy. To date, the relationship between patients’ perceived levels of involvement and autonomy support has never been investigated in the field of physical therapy. Based on the recently reported extremely low level of observed SDM in physical therapy, similarly poor patient perceptions are expected. Objective: The main objectives of this study were to examine patients’ perceptions of SDM and autonomy support in physical therapy and to explore the relationship between both. Design: Patient survey after real consultations in physical therapy. Methods: Patients completed the Dyadic Observing Patient Involvement (Dyadic OPTION) instrument and the Health Care Climate Questionnaire (HCCQ) to examine patients’ perceived levels of SDM and autonomy support, respectively. Multilevel analyses were applied to determine the relationship between both perceptions. Results: Two hundred and twenty-nine patients, who were recruited by 13 physical therapists, agreed to participate. The median Dyadic OPTION score was 72.9 out of a total possible score of 100. The median HCCQ score was 94.3 out of a total possible score of 100. Patients’ experienced level of SDM (b = 0.14;p < 0.001) and patients’ age (b = 0.12;p = 0.001) contributed to patients’ perceived autonomy support. None of the physical therapist characteristics were related to patients’ perceived autonomy support. Limitations: Only 13 out of 125 therapists who were personally contacted agreed to participate. Conclusion: Using patients’ perceptions, we found that a relationship between SDM and autonomy support existed. In contrast to observational studies, our study also demonstrated that the participating physical therapists individually tailored patient support by adapting their implementation of SDM to each patient.

Shared Decision Making in Residential Aged Care: A Framework Synthesis

Very little is known about shared decision making (SDM) in residential aged care, despite world-wide policy and imperatives that encourage resident choice and autonomy. This paper provides a framework synthesis of SDM in residential aged care (RAC) and potential barriers and enablers to implement SDM utilising a theoretical framework of implementation. A review of the literature on SDM in RAC from 2005 to 2016 was undertaken, using MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL, PsychINFO and Scopus. The articles were synthesised by utilising an implementation theory framework to better understand what may facilitate or hinder the introduction of SDM. Eighteen studies were identified and analysed to determine barriers and enablers to SDM in RAC from the perspectives of staff, residents and relatives. A workplace culture of person-centred care and judicious use of research evidence are enablers of SDM. There is a potential need for additional resources, such as education for staff and families to enable implementation of SDM. Implementation of any health care intervention, including SDM, relies on many complex factors but these are predominantly related to capacity. Determining current uptake and readiness of RAC organisations, residents and their families to adopt SDM is an essential starting point.

Role of decision aids in orthopaedic surgery

Medical treatment of patients inherently entails the risk of undesired complication or side effects. It is essential to inform the patient about the expected outcomes, but also the possible undesired outcomes. The patients preference and values regarding the potential outcomes should be involved in the decision making process. Even though many orthopaedic surgeons are positive towards shared decision-making, it is minimally introduced in the orthopaedic daily practice and decision-making is still mostly physician based. Decision aids are designed to support the physician and patient in the shareddecision-making process. By using decision aids, patients can learn more about their condition and treatment options in advance to the decision-making. This will reduce decisional conflict and improve participation and satisfaction.

Decision aids can decrease decisional conflict in patients with hip or knee osteoarthritis: Randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND The interest in shared decision making has increased considerably over the last couple of decades.Decision aids(DAs)can help in shared decision making.Especially when there is more than one reasonable option and outcomes between treatments are comparable.AIM To investigate if the use of DAs decreases decisional conflict in patients when choosing treatment for knee or hip osteoarthritis(OA).METHODS In this multi-center unblinded randomized controlled trial of patients with knee or hip OA were included from four secondary and tertiary referral centers.Onehundred-thirty-one patients who consulted an orthopedic surgeon for the first time with knee or hip OA were included between December 2014 and January 2016.After the first consultation,patients were randomly assigned by a computer to the control group which was treated according to standard care,or to the intervention group which was treated with standard care and provided with a DA.After the first consultation,patients were asked to complete questionnaires about decisional conflict(DCS),satisfaction,anxiety(PASS-20),gained knowledge,stage of decision making and preferred treatment.Follow-up was carried out after 26 wk and evaluated decisional conflict,satisfaction,anxiety,health outcomes(HOOS/KOOS),quality of life(EQ5D)and chosen treatment.RESULTS After the first consultation,patients in the intervention group(mean DCS:25 out of 100,SD:13)had significantly(P value:0.00)less decisional conflict compared to patients in the control group(mean DCS:39 out of 100,SD 11).The mean satisfaction score for the given information(7.6 out of 10,SD:1.8 vs 8.6 out of 10,SD:1.1)(P value:0.00),mean satisfaction score with the physician(8.3 out of 10,SD:1.7 vs 8.9 out of 10,SD:0.9)(P value:0.01)and the mean knowledge score(3.3 out of 4,SD:0.9 vs 3.7 out of,SD:0.6)(P value:0.01)were all significantly higher in the intervention group.At 26-wk follow-up,only 75 of 131 patients(57%)were available for analysis.This sample is too small for meaningful analysis.CONCLUSION Providing patients with an additional DA may have a positive effect on decisional conflict after the first consultation.Due to loss to follow-up we are unsure if this effect remains over time.

Blockchain-based Bank-to-Personal Credit Decisions

With the continuous integration of Internet technology and people's lives,blockchain technology provides more possibilities for the development of the banking industry.Blockchain is a distributed database.It has the characteristics of non-tampering,openness,transparency,decentralization,and good anonymity.It can well solve the shortcomings of the current personal credit evaluation system,thus proposing corresponding strategies for banks.Firstly,this paper proposes the challenges and difficulties in building a personal credit data sharing system based on blockchain,designs a personal credit data sharing model based on blockchain technology,and proposes a personal credit evaluation mechanism based on blockchain,including three parts:credit mechanism,credit index,and weighted scoring algorithm.Finally,through the linear regression model,corresponding credit strategies are proposed for banks.

MINIMUM ATTRIBUTE CO-REDUCTION ALGORITHM BASED ON MULTILEVEL EVOLUTIONARY TREE WITH SELF-ADAPTIVE SUBPOPULATIONS

Attribute reduction is an important process in rough set theory.Finding minimum attribute reduction has been proven to help the user-oriented make better knowledge discovery in some cases.In this paper,an efficient minimum attribute reduction algorithm is proposed based on the multilevel evolutionary tree with self-adaptive subpopulations.A model of multilevel evolutionary tree with self-adaptive subpopulations is constructed,and interacting attribute sets are better decomposed into subsets by the self-adaptive mechanism of elitist populations.Moreover it can self-adapt the subpopulation sizes according to the historical performance record so that interacting attribute decision variables are captured into the same grouped subpopulation,which will be extended to better performance in both quality of solution and competitive computation complexity for minimum attribute reduction.The conducted experiments show the proposed algorithm is better on both efficiency and accuracy of minimum attribute reduction than some representative algorithms.Finally the proposed algorithm is applied to magnetic resonance image(MRI)segmentation,and its stronger applicability is further demonstrated by the effective and robust segmentation results.

Market Share Model of Price and Advertising Combined Game in Duopoly

The marketing share model of price and advertising in a duopoly market was studied in this paper. Market response curves of price and advertising were presented to calculate the reasonable range based on the market forecast results. The interaction effect of price and advertising was considered,and the game theory was applied to a two-stage price and advertising competition which involved the market share model. A marketing decision support system (MDSS) was developed and simulation data was provided to give the solutions. The operation results show that the leading enterprise makes higher price,spends more on advertising,and earns more profit,while the small-scale enterprise has to lower the price,spend less on advertising,and has slightly higher profit rate. The system is shown to be adaptable to a wide variety of realistic situations.

医患共同决策对患者家属诊疗期望值及满意度的影响

应用病例对照研究方法对拟行冠状动脉旁路移植术的患者进行医患共同决策干预。研究发现,经过医患共同决策干预的患者和家属,沟通后对诊疗结果的期望值明显减低,且沟通诊疗期望值低于传统方式沟通的患者和家属;在满意度测评中,干预组满意度和患者参与满意度调查的比例高于对照组,且干预组患者主导的满意度得分高于对照组和干预组家属主导的满意度得分。积极应用医患共同决策能够合理调控患者及其家属对诊疗行为的期望值,提升患者满意度,值得在国内医疗机构推广。

临床医生实践医患共同决策的思考

医患共同决策是继家长式决策模式和知情同意模式后,逐渐被大家认可的临床决策模式。在我国经历20多年的发展,逐渐被临床医生所认可并不断引入临床实践,但其发展并不如想象中那么乐观。虽然它可以改善医患关系、减少决策失误,但实际工作中仍存在缺乏政策指引、医患双方互不信任、医生没有实现共情等诸多实际问题,致使医患共同决策的推进并不顺畅。因此,医患共同决策模式作为理想的决策模式,在我国临床工作中仍需要不断探索与完善。

叙事医学之于外科临床决策的价值思考

癌症的治疗理念和技术发展到微创和精准医学新时代,但临床决策更加复杂化。临床决策是癌症诊疗中重要环节,但传统临床决策模式无法满足癌症患者对高质量诊疗日益增长的需求,而建立在叙事医学基础上的医患共同决策是理想的决策模式。叙事医学让外科医生关注患者的故事、重现真实世界及真实需求等,构建医患信任的合作关系,让医学人文渗透到癌症外科临床决策的全过程。叙事医学融入癌症的临床诊疗过程中,有助于突破医患共同决策困境,实现叙事赋能、赋权,达成基于叙事医学的医患共同决策,但是当前仍需提升外科医生的叙事医学能力和素养,加强叙事医学本土化实践,营造优质叙事医学生态。

恶性肿瘤诊疗中实施医患共同决策的困境与前景

近年来医患共同决策(SDM)理念逐渐兴起,越来越多的恶性肿瘤患者愿意积极参与临床决策,结合自身价值需求,同医师共同讨论、制订精准而个体化的诊疗方案。SDM模式不仅无损于治疗结局,还能提高患者满意度、治疗依从性、生活质量、心理状态、自我效能及更少的住院费用。然而囿于医患关系紧张,医生理念/知识更新缓慢、沟通能力欠缺,患者经济、社会背景差异及家属干预等多方面因素,SDM在中国面临诸多困境与挑战,在肿瘤患者诊疗中尚未广泛有效实施。

考虑综合经济性的风光配电网储能优化配置

在配电网中配置储能系统可以有效缓解风光接入对配电网产生的影响,提升对风光的消纳能力、减少电压偏差等,而储能接入的位置和容量不同会对配电网产生不同的影响。首先分析储能建设过程中的主要费用,考虑基于分时电价下的网损成本和峰谷差收益,以年综合成本、配电网的日节点电压偏差和最小为目标,建立配电网储能选址定容模型,采用改进多目标遗传二代算法(improved multi-objective nondominated sorting genetic Ⅱ algorithm, INSGA-Ⅱ)对模型进行求解,利用改进理想点决策法(improved ideal point based decision, IIPBD)来选取最优配置方案,最后在IEEE-33节点模型中对方案进行验证。仿真结果表明:使用INSGA-Ⅱ算法进行求解时最终决策出的储能配置方案实现了成本最小,并且显著提升了电压的稳定性,验证了改进后算法的优良性和所提出的储能优化配置方案的有效性。