title: Shared-decision making in general practice: do patients with respiratory tract infections actually want it?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is conflicting evidence on whether patients wish to be involved in medical decisions.
  
  
  METHODS
  We interviewed 636 ambulatory patients with acute respiratory tract infections in cantons Basel-Stadt and Aargau. We asked whether they agreed with two statements that are the antithesis of shared-decision making. We used proportional odds regression to investigate how agreement with these two statements is associated with patient characteristics and with patient satisfaction and enablement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Many patients (66%) supported leaving decision making to their physician. These patients were more likely to be satisfied with the consultation and scored higher on enablement. Patients whose responses were consistent with a preference for shared-decision making were more likely to be younger, better educated and in more discomfort.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients consulting a general practitioner for acute respiratory tract infections should be invited to participate in decision making although many may choose to decline.
authors.affiliation: Basel Institute for Clinical Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland. brielm@uhhs.ch
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Briel
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tschudi
authors.forename: Christa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hugenschmidt
authors.forename: Heiner C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Bucher
authors.forename: Wolf
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Langewitz
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D003657:Decision Making; D005194:Family Practice / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires