How is digital technology used to facilitate shared decision-making between healthcare professionals and patients in cardiovascular care? A scoping review.

Aims: To (i) identify characteristics of digital technologies (DTs) used to facilitate shared decision-making (SDM) within the field of cardiovascular care, (ii) examine conceptualizations of SDM underpinning these DTs, and (iii) summarize designs and outcomes of evaluation studies concerning these DTs.

Methods and results: We conducted a scoping review following methodological guidelines by the Joanna Briggs Institute. Ten scientific databases were searched. We selected peer-reviewed articles in cardiovascular care, with SDM and DT in the title and/or abstract published between January 2000 and March 2023. We extracted data on the type of DT, intended user(s), time point and mode of use, purpose, decision topic, underlying SDM model, and designs and outcomes of evaluation studies. Data were analysed descriptively in a narrative synthesis. From 4432 search results, 48 articles reporting on 31 DTs were included. Half of the articles were published after 2018, with most published in 2022. Most DTs are web-based applications for interactive use before and during the encounter between patient and healthcare professional, to convey information on cardiovascular care, calculate personal risk, and/or recommend treatment options. Shared decision-making conceptualizations refer to the International Patient Decision Aid Standards and authors in the field. Thirty-seven evaluation studies report on 31 DTs, with heterogeneous results related to variation in intervention designs, measurement time points, and outcome measures.

Conclusion: A recent increase in the reporting of DTs to facilitate SDM in cardiovascular care indicates their potential. This scoping review offers researchers, developers, and clinicians a comprehensive overview of this literature.

Registration: Open Science Framework: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/TRGQ5.