Patient experiences of shared decision-making following a displaced collarbone injury: A qualitative interview study.
Natasha Maher, Maria Clare Moffatt, Felicity Astin and 1 others
PMID 40589166WHAT IT FOUND
Patients with displaced collarbone injuries described inconsistent explanations from clinicians.
Confusing terminology and varying grades made it hard to understand their injury. This uncertainty left many feeling unsupported in decision-making, despite shared decision-making being the goal.
Key findings
01Inconsistent terminology and grading systems used by clinicians caused confusion about the severity and prognosis of the injury.
02Participants reported that the profession of the clinician influenced how options were framed, with orthopaedic consultants often directing towards surgery and physiotherapists towards self-management.
03Shared decision-making was experienced inconsistently; some patients felt burdened by the responsibility of choosing, while others felt guided or abandoned rather than supported.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample was small (n=10) and all participants were male, reflecting the typical demographic but limiting generalisability to women. Only one participant was from a non-White-British background, limiting insight into cultural variations in healthcare experience. Recruitment was limited to three of four intended NHS sites, and only English-speaking patients were included. The study relies on retrospective self-report of experiences, which may be subject to recall bias. No female participants were included, so findings cannot speak to their experiences.
Declared interests
One author (NM) received funding from an NIHR Pre-Doctoral Clinical Academic Fellowship. The study itself was unfunded. The authors declared no other conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these findings as evidence that one treatment (surgery or physiotherapy) is superior or that shared decision-making fails universally. The study describes patient perceptions of communication inconsistencies and decisional burden, not clinical outcomes. It highlights a need for clearer, consistent information, not a specific therapeutic intervention.