Informed, Patient-Centered Decisions Associated with Better Health Outcomes in Orthopedics: Prospective Cohort Study:

Background. A goal of shared decision making (SDM) is to ensure patients are well informed and receive preferred treatments. However, the relationship between SDM and health outcomes is not clear. Objective. The purpose was to examine whether patients who are well informed and receive their preferred treatment have better health outcomes. Design, Setting, and Participants. A prospective cohort study at an academic medical center surveyed new patients with knee or hip osteoarthritis, herniated disc, or spinal stenosis 1 week after seeing a specialist and again 6 months later. Main Outcomes and Measures. The survey assessed knowledge, preferred treatment, and quality of life (QoL). The percentage of patients who were well informed and received preferred treatment was calculated (informed, patient centered [IPC]). A follow-up survey assessed QoL, decision regret, and satisfaction. Regression analyses with generalized estimating equations to account for clustering tested a priori hypotheses that patients who ...