Legal principles of shared decision-making for healthcare: what are we required to do?

There is extensive literature, including a recently published guideline,1 on how healthcare professionals (HCPs) should conduct shared decision-making (SDM) with patients. Yet, it is not clear exactly what, or how much, information HCPs must share with their patients. We seek to fill this gap by analysing two judgements of the UK Supreme Court (UKSC). It is critical for HCPs to be familiar with these legal principles because, as discussed by a Lancet Commission, the law plays a crucial role in determining professional duties.2 We accept that UKSC’s jurisdiction is limited to the UK. Nonetheless, it has global influence. As such, our analysis will be of relevance to HCPs and policymakers internationally.