Factors Related to Participation in Decision-making in Emergency Surgery Patients

Background: Patient’s shared decision-making (SDM) is an ethical standard for respecting patient autonomy. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the level of SDM for emergency surgery and its related factors in hospitals affiliated with the Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 306 patients candidates for emergency surgery in 2020. The research instruments included a 9-item SDM Questionnaire and an SDM-related factors questionnaire for surgery. Results: Our results showed that more than 50% of patients did not participate in choosing emergency surgery. Among the related factors, the SDM level of the family members, the patient's marital status, and systolic blood pressure were the main predictors of the patient’s SDM for surgery (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The emergency conditions of patients and the high workload of staff reduced participation in the decision-making of patients and their family members.