Evaluating the Impact of a Shared Decision-making Intervention for Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma: The SDM-RCC Study Protocol

The aim of the SDM-RCC study is to evaluate the impact of a comprehensive shared decision-making (SDM) intervention for patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) on the decision-making process and outcomes. The intervention includes online patient decision aids (PtDAs) and training of health care professionals (HCPs) in the use of PtDAs and SDM. The study is a multicenter, prospective pretest-posttest cohort in six Dutch hospitals, focusing on patients with localized or metastatic RCC. The primary outcome is the observed quality of the decision-making process, measured using OPTION-5 scores. Secondary outcomes include perceived quality of the decision-making process, decision quality, and implementation of the intervention (user statistics and interviews). Quantitative analysis will be performed on questionnaire data, while qualitative analysis will be performed on interviews using coding based on established frameworks. The study results could improve understanding of the decision-making process for RCC patients from patient, HCP, and observer perspectives. The SDM tool implemented is expected to support the decision-making process. PATIENT SUMMARY: We are conducting a trial on the effects of a tool to support shared decision-making by patients with kidney cancer who are facing treatment decisions. This paper outlines the protocol that will be used for the trial.