Shared decision-making (SDM) is a critical component of the patient-physician relationship. 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.
Cross-sectional study using data from the 2014-2017 and 2019 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS).
A weighted total of 3,715,027 psoriasis patients were identified. 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 high SDM, (score of 3.9 or above). Patients who had high SDM had on average 85% higher satisfaction with care (p<0.001) after adjusting for covariates.
The results of our study should be interpreted within the context of the MEPS database. The ability to measure SDM was limited by the seven items from MEPS, which may not fully capture active participation in shared decision-making.
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.

Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.