--- title: "How pts are considered in multidisciplinary cancer team mtgs | Sutter Health" description: "Tumor board meetings we observed did not exhibit shared decision-making. Patient perspectives were absent." url: "https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/pt-consideration-multidisciplin-cancer-team-mtgs-1055312430" --- 1. [Home](https://www.sutterhealth.org/) / 2. [Research](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research) / 3. [Research publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications) / 4. How pts are considered in multidisciplinary cancer team mtgs # In absentia: an exploratory study of how patients are considered in multidisciplinary cancer team meetings. Hahlweg P, Hoffmann J, Härter M, Frosch DL, Elwyn G, & Scholl I. _PLoS One. 10(10):e0139921. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139921. eCollection 2015._ 2015-10-06 ## Abstract BACKGROUND: Multidisciplinary team meetings and shared decision-making are potential means of delivering patient-centered care. Not much is known about how those two paradigms fit together in cancer care. This study aimed to investigate how decisions are made in multidisciplinary team meetings and whether patient perspectives are incorporated in these decisions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted using non-participant observation at multidisciplinary team meetings (also called tumor boards) at the University Cancer Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany. Two researchers recorded structured field notes from a total of N = 15 multidisciplinary team meetings. Data were analyzed using content analysis and descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Physicians mainly exchanged medical information and based their decision-making on this information. Individual patient characteristics or their treatment preferences were rarely considered or discussed. In the few cases where patient preferences were raised as a topic, this information did not seem to be taken into account in decision-making processes about treatment recommendations. CONCLUSION: The processes in multidisciplinary team meetings we observed did not exhibit shared decision-making. Patient perspectives were absent. If multidisciplinary team meetings wish to become more patient-centered they will have to modify their processes and find a way to include patient preferences into the decision-making process. [PubMed abstract](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26441328) ## Research topics - [All Cancer](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22All+Cancer%5C%22%22) - [Disease Management](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22Disease+Management%5C%22%22) - [Health Services](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22Health+Services%5C%22%22) ## Related publications [View all publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?verticalKey=research_publication) - Publication ### [The importance of integrating narrative into health care decision making.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/integrate-narrative-in-healthcare-decision-making-1055312429) Dohan D, Garrett SB, Rendle KA, Halley M, Abramson C. Health Aff (Millwood). 35(4):720-5. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2015.1373. 2016 Apr 01 - Publication ### [Evolving goals of care discussions as described in interviews with individuals with advanced cancer and oncology and palliative care teams.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/goals-of-care-discussions-in-advanced-cancer-1055312861) Dillon EC, Meehan A, Nasrallah C, Lai S, Colocci N, Luft H. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 1049909120969202. doi: 10.1177/1049909120969202. Online ahead of print. 2020 Oct 28 - Publication ### [Mapping the decision-making process for adjuvant endocrine therapy for breast cancer: the role of decisional resolve.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/decision-making-adjuvant-endocr-tx-breast-ca-1055312417) Beryl LL, Rendle KA, Halley MC, Gillespie KA, May SG, Glover J, Yu P, Chattopadhyay R, Frosch DL. 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EGEMS (Wash DC). 7(1):16. doi: 10.5334/egems.283. 2019 Apr 12 [View all publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?verticalKey=research_publication) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/pt-consideration-multidisciplin-cancer-team-mtgs-1055312430#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Research","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Research publications","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"How pts are considered in multidisciplinary cancer team mtgs"}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalScholarlyArticle","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/pt-consideration-multidisciplin-cancer-team-mtgs-1055312430#medicalscholarlyarticle","name":"In absentia: an exploratory study of how patients are considered in multidisciplinary cancer team meetings.","headline":"How pts are considered in multidisciplinary cancer team mtgs","abstract":"BACKGROUND: Multidisciplinary team meetings and shared decision-making are potential means of delivering patient-centered care. Not much is known about how those two paradigms fit together in cancer care. This study aimed to investigate how decisions are made in multidisciplinary team meetings and whether patient perspectives are incorporated in these decisions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted using non-participant observation at multidisciplinary team meetings (also called tumor boards) at the University Cancer Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany. Two researchers recorded structured field notes from a total of N = 15 multidisciplinary team meetings. Data were analyzed using content analysis and descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Physicians mainly exchanged medical information and based their decision-making on this information. Individual patient characteristics or their treatment preferences were rarely considered or discussed. In the few cases where patient preferences were raised as a topic, this information did not seem to be taken into account in decision-making processes about treatment recommendations. CONCLUSION: The processes in multidisciplinary team meetings we observed did not exhibit shared decision-making. Patient perspectives were absent. If multidisciplinary team meetings wish to become more patient-centered they will have to modify their processes and find a way to include patient preferences into the decision-making process.","description":"Tumor board meetings we observed did not exhibit shared decision-making. 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