Shared decision making in recurrent ovarian cancer: Implementation of patient decision aids across three departments of oncology in Denmark

OBJECTIVE: Patients with relapsed ovarian cancer are offered multiple treatment options. To match treatment with the individual patient's life situation and preferences, healthcare professionals can apply shared decision making (SDM) including patient decision aids (PtDAs). This study aimed to evaluate the implementation of two different PtDAs in consultations with patients suffering from relapsed ovarian cancer. METHODS: We analyzed the following data before and after implementation of the PtDAs: 1) observed SDM using the OPTION instrument, 2) physician treatment recommendations, and 3) patients' and physicians' evaluations of SDM in consultations using the CollaboRATE, SDM-Q-9, and SDM-Q-Doc. RESULTS: Significant improvement in observed SDM was found after the implementation (p = 0.002). Improvement of SDM was detected in consultations conducted by physicians reporting more than two hours of SDM-training (p < 0.001), but not when physicians reported less than two hours of SDM-training. No before/after differences in treatment recommendations and in patients' and physicians' evaluations were found. CONCLUSION: Implementation of PtDAs improved the level of observed SDM. Training of physicians in SDM is necessary for improved SDM practice. INNOVATION: Discussing oncological treatment options with the use of PtDAs is not standard practice in Denmark. The present study is one of the first Danish studies focusing on how to implement SDM and PtDAs in oncological consultations.