Shared decision-making (SDM) is a core pillar of patient-centred healthcare, central to the notion that patients should have the opportunity to be involved in their treatment decision making as much as they want.

As a global voice for kidney cancer, IKCC research in SDM aims to identify and eliminate the barriers to the uptake of shared decision-making and expedite the adoption of SDM as the standard practice which places the patient and their values at the heart of their kidney cancer care.

In early 2024, representatives from IKCC presented a research poster at the European Association of Urology meeting in Innsbruck, Austria that posed a provocative question: Why is the GU oncology clinic lagging in shared decision-making?

IKCC’s research studies this question further. In partnership with Dr. Katharina Beyer (NL), a qualitative research project – Empowering Choices: Insights from Healthcare Professionals on Shared Decision-Making in Kidney Cancer. Healthcare professionals in urology clinics in the United Kingdon, the Netherlands and Germany were interviewed to explores their perspectives as they relate to SDM, with a focus on early-stage kidney cancer. The research findings were published in a manuscript and presented in a poster at EAU25, which won 1st prize for the best patient abstract.

The research has uncovered significant challenges to SDM, and future activities will focus on closing these gaps to help improve uptake:

  • The lack of evidence that there is benefit to SDM/patient engagement from HCPs
  • Healthcare professionals’ perceived barriers, including time and cost-effectiveness of SDM
  • The lack of evidence that structured decision tools/ aids improve Standard of Care discussions for kidney cancer