Abstracr Background Practicing shared decision-making (SDM) can aid the process of developing a personalized plan with patients. However, literature on the current level of SDM within neurosurgery is scarce. We aimed to assess the current practice of SDM during neurosurgical consultations with brain tumor patients and explore important health outcomes. Methods A cross-sectional web-based survey with quantitative and qualitative components, which included the 9-item Shared Decision-Making Questionnaire (SDM-Q-9), CollaboRATE-5 measure, National Quality Forum (NQF) measure 2962, and adapted NHS patient experience survey questions, was disseminated via brain tumor patient charity groups to eligible participants. Mean values and ranges were calculated for quantitative data, and a thematic analysis was conducted for qualitative data. Results Survey responses were collected from December 1, 2025, to February 6, 2026, with a total of 117 survey responses. Of those responses, only 61 participants had a 100% completion rate. The mean scores for the SDM-Q-9, CollaboRATE-5, and NQF measure 2962 were 61.20 (SD = 25.90; 95% confidence interval CI, 66.94—55.45), 6.59 (SD = 3.74; 95% CI, 5.77—7.42), and 2.13 (SD = 1.33; 95% CI, 1.83 – 2.42), respectively. Nine primary themes were found in reported important health outcomes for participants, which included quality of life, transparency in diagnosis and prognosis, improvement in condition, access to treatment options, risks, and benefits of surgical intervention. Discussion This study demonstrates moderate but inconsistent practice of SDM in neurosurgical consultations. Developing tailored interventions based on these findings can enhance the quality of care for brain tumor patients.
Hughes et al. (Mon,) studied this question.