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Table 1 Shared decision-making-related constructs

From: Patient preference for involvement, experienced involvement, decisional conflict, and satisfaction with physician: a structural equation model test

Construct

Definition

Preference for involvement in medical decision mak

Preference of a patient for active participation in decisions concerning a choice between medical treatment options. Low preference indicates no wish for involvement, while high preference refers to a wish for an active role in the decision-making process.

Experienced involvement

Degree to which a patient feels involved in the process of medical decision-making. It can also be defined as the patient’s impression as to the extent that a decision is “shared” between the patient and the physician. Low involvement signals a rather authoritative process controlled by the physician, while high involvement indicates a shared decision-making or even an autonomous decision by the patient.

Decisional conflict

Perceived conflict between medical treatment options. It provides information on the subjectively experienced quality of a decision that has been reached. Low conflict corresponds to a rather satisfactory decision, while high conflict indicates that the selected treatment option is not necessarily believed to be the best option and substantial doubts remain.

Patient satisfaction

Patient’s global satisfaction with the medical care provided by his or her physician.