Barriers and facilitators to shared decision-making in neonatal medicine: A systematic review and thematic synthesis of parental perceptions (27 August 2021)

Summary

This study in Patient Education and Counseling aimed to systematically review parental perceptions of shared decision-making (SDM) in neonatology, and identify barriers and facilitators to implementing SDM.

The study identified the following key barriers to SDM:

• Emotional crises experienced in the NICU setting
• Lack of medical information provided to parents to inform decision-making
• Inadequate communication of information
• Poor relationships with caregivers
• Lack of continuity in care
• Perceived power imbalances between HCPs and parents.

It also identified the following key facilitators for SDM:

• Clear, honest and compassionate communication of medical information
• Caring and empathetic caregivers
• Continuity in care
• Tailored approaches that reflected parent’s desired level of involvement.