Exploring the Patient Engagement in the Healthcare Decision‐Making Process and Its Association With Patients' Satisfaction

AIM: Shared decision-making (SDM) involves the incorporation of patient preferences, values, and beliefs which yield patient-centered care. This study aims to explore patient engagement in the healthcare decision-making process and its association with the patients' satisfaction. DESIGN: A cross-sectional, descriptive correlational design was used. METHOD: OPTION tool-Arabic version was used to measure the patients' decision-making level. The Patients' Satisfaction Questionnaire was used to measure patients' satisfaction level. Data was analysed using SPSS. RESULTS: = 0.001, p > 0.05). Additionally, demographic variables such as gender, age, marital status, employment, years of infection, and caregiver support showed no statistically significant impact on satisfaction levels. CONCLUSION: Patient engagement in decision-making was generally agreed upon; however, it did not significantly influence satisfaction with medical care, suggesting that other unmeasured factors may play a more important role in shaping patient satisfaction, and decision-making alone is not sufficient. PATIENT CONTRIBUTION: Involving patients and the public (PPI) was a key component of this study. From the beginning, patients helped shape the research questions and contributed to designing the study protocol. They also took part in the recruitment process, offering important perspectives on how to engage participants effectively. Additionally, patient representatives reviewed the study materials, providing feedback to improve their clarity and relevance. Lastly, patients were involved in sharing the research outcomes to help make the findings more accessible and understandable to a broader audience.