Decisional awareness and role
Participants reported self-referral stimulated patients’ willingness to
involve in their own decision-making. As two nephrologists put it.
“Self-referral patients have put more focus on choosing their own
dialysis modalities, they had burning requirement for related knowledge
and communication. It signified patients’ the concept of participating
decisions have gradually experienced transformation. We were glad to see
it…” (N 1)
Participants indicated that treatment decision-making should be involved
by staff-patient-family jointly, not necessarily decided by one side.
Self-referral patients reported that they have strong awareness to
acquire disease knowledge and choose suitable option lining with their
value and preference, but the ultimate decision maker should be whom can
take responsibility for decision, usually staffs.
“Patients should have rights to follow or refused physicians’
suggestions. However, the prerequisite was that we must have full
understanding. However, we were at a professional disadvantage than
doctors, thus, we should defer to HCPs for the fateful decision.”(P11)