Shared decision-making in medical education - a systematic review.

Abstract

Introduction: This systematic review examined teaching strategies used to enhance medical students' skills in shared decision-making (SDM) and their impact on students' learning and educational outcomes.

Methods: Twenty-three studies published between 2014 and 2025 were identified through systematic searches of PubMed, Scopus and Embase. Eligible studies evaluated SDM-focused educational interventions for medical students and reported SDM-related outcomes.

Results: Teaching approaches varied widely, most often involving role-play with SPs or peers, case-based discussions and blended or online modules. Despite heterogeneous outcome measures, experiential methods consistently enhanced students' confidence, communication and attitudes towards SDM. Most studies relied on self-reported data rather than validated, performance-based tools, and few studies included follow-up.

Conclusions: Although heterogeneity limits firm conclusions, active, experiential approaches appear most promising in developing SDM competencies among medical students. This review synthesises current approaches to SDM training and highlights key research gaps, including the need for validated, performance-based, longitudinal studies to determine which teaching strategies most effectively support long-term competence in SDM.