Author:

Abstract:

The importance of sharing decisions is increasingly acknowledged. Information plays a crucial role in the shared decision making (SDM)process. Sharing of information between patient and physician is a vital step to achieve informed preferences and to allow for value based decision making. However, the available information on medical subjects is often difficult to process – as is the case in the complex topic of early detection (ED) of prostate cancer (PCa). A decision aid (DA) can be a helpful tool to facilitate the process of SDM. In the development and implementation of such a DA, users’needs and preferences should be taken into account. With this study we aimed to explore men’s and general practitioners’ (GPs) perceptions of the need for and process of providing decision support for ED of PCa. Methods: We organised focus groups with men who are eligible for ED of PCa as well as interviews with GPs, to evaluate their opinion on the content and use of a DA we have recently developed for ED of PCa. Data saturation was reached after 5 focus groups with 43 participants and after 16 individual interviews with GPs. The focus groups and interviews were recorded, transcribed ad verbatim and analysed thematically. Results: Men’s and GPs’ accounts clearly show that there is a great need for decision support in the context of ED of PCa. Both parties, however, experience important barriers to the implementation of a DA such as time constraints during consultation and strong pre‐existing preferences. As to overcome these barriers men as well as GPs suggested the use of short decision support instruments during and outside of the consultation. Discussion: In order to achieve optimal implementation of decision support, both men and GPs suggest developing complementary instruments for use during and apart from consultation. In the GPs' waiting room, posters can introduce the concept of patient involvement in medical decision making, and during consultation, summarizing grids can directly support patient involvement in decision making in a time‐efficient manner.