Biomaterial Database

Shared decision making: evaluation of German medical students' preferences. 2008

Heide B Schneider, and Hagen Sandholzer

Department of General Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. hbschneider@medizin.uni-leipzig.de

BACKGROUND Current medical student perceptions of patient centredness and the priorities of students for a change in medical care were investigated. METHODS We conducted an observational study using questionnaires at the University of Leipzig in Germany. In total, 188 consecutive medical students attending the Department of General Medicine participated in this study. We investigated students' priorities for an improvement in medical care related to aspects of the patient-doctor relationship and to aspects of organization. RESULTS Receiving more information and undergoing the process of shared decision making was the most important choice; selected by 43.2% as their first priority. The second choice was found to be consultation time (16.2%) which also refers to the patient-doctor relationship. Shorter queues for tests, also considered important for more patient autonomy, were ranked third (14.6%). Medical students participating in this study were least interested in access to specialists, cost of medications and continuity of care. CONCLUSIONS For the first time, it is shown that shared decision making, in addition to its many benefits, is not only a patients', but also a prospective doctors' top priority. Consequently, medical student training programmes might incorporate shared decision-making training as an important element of patient centredness.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D010358	Patient Participation	Patient involvement in the decision-making process in matters pertaining to health.	Patient Activation,Patient Empowerment,Patient Engagement,Patient Involvement,Patient Participation Rates,Activation, Patient,Empowerment, Patient,Engagement, Patient,Involvement, Patient,Participation Rate, Patient,Participation Rates, Patient,Participation, Patient,Patient Participation Rate
D010817	Physician-Patient Relations	The interactions between physician and patient.	Doctor-Patient Relations,Doctor Patient Relations,Physician Patient Relations,Physician Patient Relationship,Doctor Patient Relation,Doctor-Patient Relation,Physician Patient Relation,Physician Patient Relationships,Physician-Patient Relation,Relation, Doctor Patient,Relation, Doctor-Patient,Relation, Physician Patient,Relation, Physician-Patient,Relations, Doctor Patient,Relations, Doctor-Patient,Relations, Physician Patient,Relations, Physician-Patient,Relationship, Physician Patient,Relationships, Physician Patient
D011795	Surveys and Questionnaires	Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions.	Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D003657	Decision Making	The process of making a selective intellectual judgment when presented with several complex alternatives consisting of several variables, and usually defining a course of action or an idea.	Credit Assignment,Assignment, Credit,Assignments, Credit,Credit Assignments
D005260	Female		Females
D005858	Germany	A country in central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark. The capital is Berlin.
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D001291	Attitude of Health Personnel	Attitudes of personnel toward their patients, other professionals, toward the medical care system, etc.	Staff Attitude,Attitude, Staff,Attitudes, Staff,Health Personnel Attitude,Health Personnel Attitudes,Staff Attitudes