Data from the paper: Shared Decision Making during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic pushed some of the most well-developed healthcare systems to their limits. In many cases, this has challenged patient-centered care. We set out to examine individuals’ attitudes towards shared decision making (SDM) and to identify predictors of participation preference during the pandemic. Methods: We conducted an online survey with a large convenience sample (N = 1061). Our main measures of interest were participants’ generic and COVID-19 related participation preferences, and their acceptance and distress regarding a triage vignette. We also assessed anxiety, e-health literacy, and aspects of participants’ health. We conducted group comparisons and multiple linear regression analyses on participation preference and triage acceptance. Results: In generic decision making, most participants expressed a strong need for information and a moderate participation preference. In the hypothetical case of COVID-19 infection, the majority preferred physician-led decisions. Generic participation preference was the strongest predictor for COVID-19 related participation preference, followed by age, education and anxiety. Furthermore, higher generic and COVID-19 related participation preferences both predicted lower triage acceptance. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate potential healthcare recipients’ attitudes towards SDM during a severe healthcare crisis and emphasize that participation preference varies according to the context.研究目标：新冠疫情（COVID-19 pandemic）将部分最发达的医疗体系推至运营极限，在诸多场景中对以患者为中心的医疗照护构成了挑战。本研究旨在探讨个体对共同决策（Shared Decision Making，SDM）的态度，并识别疫情期间患者参与偏好的预测因素。 研究方法：本研究通过便利抽样开展线上调查，共纳入1061名受访者（N=1061）。本研究的核心观测指标包括受访者的通用参与偏好、新冠相关参与偏好，以及他们对分诊情境案例的接受度与苦恼程度。此外，本研究还评估了受访者的焦虑状态、电子健康素养（e-health literacy）以及部分健康相关指标。研究采用组间比较与多元线性回归分析，对参与偏好及分诊接受度展开数据分析。 研究结果：在通用医疗决策场景中，多数受访者表现出强烈的信息获取需求，并呈现中等程度的参与偏好。在假设的新冠感染情境下，大多数受访者更倾向于由医师主导的决策方案。通用参与偏好是新冠相关参与偏好的最强预测因素，后续依次为年龄、受教育程度与焦虑状态。此外，更高的通用参与偏好与新冠相关参与偏好，均与更低的分诊接受度显著相关。 研究结论：本研究结果揭示了严重医疗危机期间，潜在医疗服务接受者对共同决策的态度，并强调患者的参与偏好会因具体情境不同而存在差异。