Family involvement and shared decision-making quality in renal replacement therapy selection: a nationwide cross-sectional study

Shared decision making in renal replacement therapy should reflect patient values. However, the quantitative impact of family involvement—particularly in Asian contexts—on decision-making quality remains underexplored. This nationwide, multicenter cross-sectional study (October 2022–February 2025) involved 475 adults with stage 5 chronic kidney disease across 49 facilities in Japan. Following the selection of renal replacement therapy, participants were surveyed regarding the final decision-makers and their specific roles. Shared decision-making quality was evaluated using the three-item CollaboRATE scale, assessing information exchange and preference integration. Compared with “physician-only” decisions, CollaboRATE scores (points; 95% confidence interval) were significantly higher in the “patient and physician” (+ 12.3; 1.5–23.2) and “patient, physician, and key person” groups (+ 13.7; 0.8–26.7). Role-based analyses showed that shared decision-making with the physician or key person was associated with a + 10.0 point increase (3.2–16.8) versus decisions without patient involvement. Among patients with family members, scores were significantly higher for patient only (+ 9.5), patient-led with input from physician or key person (+ 10.4), and shared decision-making (+ 12.1) categories, compared with no patient involvement. Family involvement is positively associated with higher shared decision-making quality when selecting renal replacement therapy, particularly when the process remains collaborative and guided by patient preferences.