General dental practitioners' perceptions of shared decision making: a qualitative study

As patient centred care becomes more of the focus in healthcare, informed consent is receiving more of the attention in dental practice as the pinnacle principle in patient care. Shared decision making or person centred care appear to be taking a back foot in dentistry. Aim: This study aims to gain insight into the current views and perceptions of shared decision making by general dental practitioners and how it can be utilised in daily practice. Method: Empirical qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews of nine dentists working in general practice, with an average of 30 minutes for each interview. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Overall, there was a misunderstanding of what constitutes shared decision making amongst dental practitioners, with communication focused more on information provision rather than collaborative discussion. There were barriers which prevented full discussions with patients from occurring, some of which directly conflicted with the focus of shared decision making. Conclusion: There is a need to provide more clarity of what shared decision making is and how it can facilitate person centred care in dental practice. Dental practitioners felt that standards and guidelines were not clear, therefore they were confused as to what was expected of them with regards to communication. More support, in the form of standardised decision making aids, is needed to assist dental practitioners to streamline the delivery of SDM in primary care.