Study protocol

Advancing theories, models and measurement for an interprofessional approach to shared decision making in primary care: a study protocol

France Légaré^1,2 , Dawn Stacey³ , Ian D Graham^3,4 , Glyn Elwyn⁵ , Pierre Pluye⁶ , Marie-Pierre Gagnon¹ , Dominick Frosch⁷ , Margaret B Harrison⁸ , Jennifer Kryworuchko³ , Sophie Pouliot¹ and Sophie Desroches¹

¹Research Center of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Québec, Canada

²Department of Family Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Canada

³Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada

⁴Vice-President of Knowledge Translation at Canadian Institute of Health Research

⁵Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK

⁶Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Canada

⁷Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA

⁸School of Nursing, Queen's University, Kingston, Canada

author email corresponding author email

BMC Health Services Research 2008, 8:2doi:10.1186/1472-6963-8-2

Published:	3 January 2008

Abstract

Background

Shared decision-making (SDM) is defined as a process by which a healthcare choice is made by practitioners together with the patient. Although many diagnostic and therapeutic processes in primary care integrate more than one type of health professional, most SDM conceptual models and theories appear to be limited to the patient-physician dyad. The objectives of this study are to develop a conceptual model and propose a set of measurement tools for enhancing an interprofessional approach to SDM in primary healthcare.

Methods/Design

An inventory of SDM conceptual models, theories and measurement tools will be created. Models will be critically assessed and compared according to their strengths, limitations, acknowledgement of interprofessional roles in the process of SDM and relevance to primary care. Based on the theory analysis, a conceptual model and a set of measurements tools that could be used to enhance an interprofessional approach to SDM in primary healthcare will be proposed and pilot-tested with key stakeholders and primary healthcare teams.

Discussion

This study protocol is informative for researchers and clinicians interested in designing and/or conducting future studies and educating health professionals to improve how primary healthcare teams foster active participation of patients in making health decisions using a more coordinated approach.