Clinician communication styles
PAs, NPs, and physicians described having different roles in the care of patients undergoing ablation. Physicians conducted the pre-ablation consults and had the most experience discussing AF and catheter ablations with patients. They aimed to be thorough and provide as much information as possible, encouraged patients to take time making decisions, and involved caregivers when possible. They described occasionally using literature and educational resources in the consults but acknowledged the need to involve different types of resources to support patients with decision-making. All described taking a shared decision-making approach to these conversations: “I allow them to decide what they need; and I help them figure that out. So, even if I think the ablation is right, I don’t really find myself saying you need an ablation or you need to do this. What I do is I try to just let them reach their own conclusion…empowering them to make their own decisions.” -Clinician 4.