A U.S. study has found that less than half of psoriasis patients report frequently engaging in shared decision-making with their healthcare provider.
The results were published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
“Shared decision-making (SDM) is a critical component of the patient-physician relationship,” the authors write. “While SDM has been reported to improve patient knowledge in other fields, it is still relatively unknown for dermatology.”
To determine the association between SDM and satisfaction with care among psoriasis patients, researchers analyzed data from the 2014 to 2017 and 2019 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). MEPS surveys families and individuals, their medical providers, and employers across the United States.
From the data, investigators identified a weighted total of 3,715,027 psoriasis patients.
The average SDM score was 3.6 (out of 4), and the average satisfaction with care score was 8.6 (out of 10). Approximately 42% of the cohort reported having a high SDM, (score of 3.9 or above).
Researchers found that the patients who had high SDM had on average 85% higher satisfaction with care (p<0.001) after adjusting for covariates.
The study authors note their results should be interpreted within the context of the MEPS database. SDM was measured with only seven survey items, “which may not fully capture active participation in shared decision-making,” they write.
“A majority of psoriasis patients are not participating in high shared decision-making. It is important to construct a framework for carrying out SDM efficiently to enhance physician-patient communication and improve patient outcomes.”