An absence of equipoise: Examining surgeons' decision talk during encounters with women considering breast cancer surgery.

Shared decision-making is recommended for decisions with multiple reasonable options, yet clinicians often subtly or explicitly guide choices. Using purposive sampling, we performed a secondary analysis of 142 audio-recorded encounters between 13 surgeons and women eligible for breast-conserving sur...

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Main Authors: Mary C Politi, Catherine H Saunders, Victoria F Grabinski, Renata W Yen, Amy E Cyr, Marie-Anne Durand, Glyn Elwyn
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2021-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0260704&type=printable
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author Mary C Politi
Catherine H Saunders
Victoria F Grabinski
Renata W Yen
Amy E Cyr
Marie-Anne Durand
Glyn Elwyn
author_facet Mary C Politi
Catherine H Saunders
Victoria F Grabinski
Renata W Yen
Amy E Cyr
Marie-Anne Durand
Glyn Elwyn
author_sort Mary C Politi
collection DOAJ
description Shared decision-making is recommended for decisions with multiple reasonable options, yet clinicians often subtly or explicitly guide choices. Using purposive sampling, we performed a secondary analysis of 142 audio-recorded encounters between 13 surgeons and women eligible for breast-conserving surgery with radiation or mastectomy. We trained 9 surgeons in shared decision-making and provided them one of two conversation aids; 4 surgeons practiced as usual. Based on a published taxonomy of treatment recommendations (pronouncements, suggestions, proposals, offers, assertions), we examined how surgeons framed choices with patients. Many surgeons made assertions providing information and advice (usual care 71% vs. intervention 66%; p = 0.54). Some made strong pronouncements (usual care 51% vs. intervention 36%; p = .09). Few made proposals and offers, leaving the door open for deliberation (proposals usual care 21% vs. intervention 26%; p = 0.51; offers usual care 40% vs. intervention 40%; p = 0.98). Surgeons were significantly more likely to describe options as comparable when using a conversation aid, mentioning this in all intervention group encounters (usual care 64% vs. intervention 100%; p<0.001). Conversation aids can facilitate offers of comparable options, but other conversational actions can inhibit aspects of shared decision-making.
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spelling doaj-art-43fb2be3846d42709ed8d7ce0c26a79a2025-08-20T03:00:05ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032021-01-011612e026070410.1371/journal.pone.0260704An absence of equipoise: Examining surgeons' decision talk during encounters with women considering breast cancer surgery.Mary C PolitiCatherine H SaundersVictoria F GrabinskiRenata W YenAmy E CyrMarie-Anne DurandGlyn ElwynShared decision-making is recommended for decisions with multiple reasonable options, yet clinicians often subtly or explicitly guide choices. Using purposive sampling, we performed a secondary analysis of 142 audio-recorded encounters between 13 surgeons and women eligible for breast-conserving surgery with radiation or mastectomy. We trained 9 surgeons in shared decision-making and provided them one of two conversation aids; 4 surgeons practiced as usual. Based on a published taxonomy of treatment recommendations (pronouncements, suggestions, proposals, offers, assertions), we examined how surgeons framed choices with patients. Many surgeons made assertions providing information and advice (usual care 71% vs. intervention 66%; p = 0.54). Some made strong pronouncements (usual care 51% vs. intervention 36%; p = .09). Few made proposals and offers, leaving the door open for deliberation (proposals usual care 21% vs. intervention 26%; p = 0.51; offers usual care 40% vs. intervention 40%; p = 0.98). Surgeons were significantly more likely to describe options as comparable when using a conversation aid, mentioning this in all intervention group encounters (usual care 64% vs. intervention 100%; p<0.001). Conversation aids can facilitate offers of comparable options, but other conversational actions can inhibit aspects of shared decision-making.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0260704&type=printable
spellingShingle Mary C Politi
Catherine H Saunders
Victoria F Grabinski
Renata W Yen
Amy E Cyr
Marie-Anne Durand
Glyn Elwyn
An absence of equipoise: Examining surgeons' decision talk during encounters with women considering breast cancer surgery.
PLoS ONE
title An absence of equipoise: Examining surgeons' decision talk during encounters with women considering breast cancer surgery.
title_full An absence of equipoise: Examining surgeons' decision talk during encounters with women considering breast cancer surgery.
title_fullStr An absence of equipoise: Examining surgeons' decision talk during encounters with women considering breast cancer surgery.
title_full_unstemmed An absence of equipoise: Examining surgeons' decision talk during encounters with women considering breast cancer surgery.
title_short An absence of equipoise: Examining surgeons' decision talk during encounters with women considering breast cancer surgery.
title_sort absence of equipoise examining surgeons decision talk during encounters with women considering breast cancer surgery
url https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0260704&type=printable
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