Open AccessThe Importance of Shared Decision-Making for Patients with Glioblastoma
Author(s) -
Al Musella,
Ralph DeVitto,
Matt Anthony,
Dellann Elliott Mydland
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
patient preference and adherence
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.885
H-Index - 48
ISSN - 1177-889X
DOI - 10.2147/ppa.s314792
Subject(s) - medicine , feeling , glioblastoma , isolation (microbiology) , perspective (graphical) , quality of life (healthcare) , disease , cognition , quality (philosophy) , patient care , patient participation , nursing , medline , bioinformatics , psychiatry , psychology , social psychology , philosophy , epistemology , artificial intelligence , computer science , political science , law , cancer research , biology
Navigating care for patients with cancer can be overwhelming considering the multiple specialists they encounter and the numerous decisions they must make. For patients with glioblastoma (GBM), management is further complicated by a poor prognosis, feelings of isolation, urgency to treat, and cognitive decline associated with this rare and progressive disease. For these reasons, it is imperative that shared decision-making (SDM) be integrated into standard practice to ensure that the risks and benefits of all treatments are discussed and weighed with the patient's expectations and goals in mind. In this manuscript, the importance of SDM in GBM and the potential benefits to the practice and patient are discussed from the unique perspective of advocacy leaders. Their insights from interactions with patients and caregivers provide a template for empowering patients, improving patient-physician communication and understanding, and reducing patient and caregiver anxieties. Ultimately, increased SDM may lead to a better quality of life and improved treatment outcomes.