Improving Shared Decision Making on the Neonatal Unit Through Assessment of Parental Experiences

1 in 7 infants born in the United Kingdom will require treatment on a Neonatal unit to treat conditions, which vary in there level of severity. Treatments and interventions aimed at supporting the unwell neonate have associated risks and the evidence underpinning them can range from limited to substantial. There is a degree of uncertainty in Neonatology, which can be very stressful for parents and clinicians alike. Parents need to be supported by the clinical team in making many complicated clinical decisions, a skill that requires robust communication of risks, benefits and alternatives.

In 2019 the British Association of Perinatal Medicine released a framework of care advocating Shared Decision Making (SDM) as the optimal process for making clinical decisions on neonatal units. This model builds upon the "informed decision" models by putting a greater emphasis on involving parents in key decisions regarding the treatment of their babies medical condition. Evidence has demonstrated that SDM can improve parental satisfaction and reduce anxiety and the likelihood of feeling regret.

In order to support parents in the SDM process, clinicians need to be able to provide impartial information encompassing the proposed intervention, intended benefit, potential risks and alternatives. Whilst clinicians may have preconceptions on the information that they think should be provided, there is limited evidence in the literature of what are the most important concepts and themes that parents would expect to be conveyed during the SDM process.

ShAPE is a qualitative study that aims to