title: [Oncology is not waiting for "shared decision-making" Patients and doctors generally reach consensus].
abstract: In recent times, the importance of shared decision-making (SDM) when making medical decisions has been emphasised. In general, SDM is seen as a consultative communication style, mainly used in reaching important, preference-sensitive decisions when multiple options are available, each with advantages and disadvantages. SDM is particularly advocated in palliative cancer treatments, as patients have different goals for treatment and different trade-offs for side effects. Decision-support tools might facilitate the process of SDM, but might also fill a needs' gap only in a minority of patients. As cancer treatment increasingly becomes more personalised, cancer patients also deserve personalised guidance; sometimes this means sharing decision-making but sometimes paternalistic advice is actually required. It is questionable whether general decision-making tools will have significant impact on patient satisfaction in medical decision-making.
authors.affiliation: Medisch Spectrum Twente, afd. Interne Geneeskunde, Enschede.
authors.forename: A N M
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Wymenga
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D032921:Consensus; D003657:Decision Making; D006801:Humans; D008495:Medical Oncology; D010358:Patient Participation; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations