Current Trends in Interprofessional Shared Decision-Making Programmes in Health Professions Education: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Background: Shared decision-making (SDM) is considered a patient-centred approach that requires interprofessional collaboration among healthcare professionals. Teaching interprofessional shared decision-making (IP-SDM) to students preparing for clinical practice facilitates the accomplishment of collaboration. Objective: This review seeks to provide an overview of current IP-SDM educational interventions with respect to their theoretical frameworks, delivery, and outcomes in healthcare. Methods: A scoping review was undertaken using PRISMA. Electronic databases, including OVID-MEDLINE, PubMed, OVID- EMBASE, ERIC, EBSCO-CINAHL, Cochrane Trails, APA PsycINFO, NTLTD, and MedNar, were searched for articles published between 2000 and 2020 on IP-SDM education and evaluation. Grey literature was searched for additional articles. Quality assessment and data extraction were independently completed by two reviewers, piloted on a random sample of specific articles, and revised iteratively. Results: A total of 63 articles met the inclusion criteria. The topics included various SDM models (26 articles) and educational frameworks and learning theories (20 articles). However, more than half of the studies did not report a theoretical framework. Students involved in the studies were postgraduates (22 articles) or undergraduates (18 articles), and 11 articles included both. The teaching incorporated active educational methods, including evaluation frameworks (18 articles) and Kirkpatrick’s model (6 articles). The mean educational intervention duration was approximately 4 months. Most articles did not include summative or formative assessments. The outcomes assessed most often included collaboration and communication, clinical practice and outcome, patients’ preferences, and decision-making skills. Conclusions: Overall, these articles demonstrate interest in teaching IP-SDM knowledge, skills, and attitudes in health professions education. However, the identified educational interventions were heterogeneous in health professionals’ involvement, intervention duration, educational frameworks, SDM models, and evaluation frameworks. Practice implications: We need more homogeneity in both theoretical frameworks and validated measures to assess IP-SDM.