Shared decision making in Iran: Current and future trends

Abstract

This paper describes the current situation of shared decision making (SDM) in the Iranian healthcare system, discusses barriers to implementation and gives future directions.What about policy regarding SDM?Although the Ministry of Health and Medical Education has enacted some legislation on informed consent and patients’ rights, there is no policy specifically regarding SDM in Iran.What about decision support tools for patients?Although some Iranian researchers and clinicians have highlighted patients’ desire to be informed and involved in decisions related to their health, there is no program to develop or evaluate decision support tools such as patient decision aids in Iran.What about professional interest and implementation?In spite of interest among some health professionals in SDM and increasing attention to patient involvement in decisions, very little has been done to train Iranian health professionals in SDM. There is also no clear strategy or policy to support SDM implementation within the national health system, and initiatives to promote SDM are in their infancy.What does the future look like?SDM's future in Iran seems promising. However, implementation of SDM will depend on strengthening collaborations among patients, health professionals, academics and policy makers, along with the Iranian government investing in promoting SDM.