Shared decision-making among patients undergoing surgery for pelvic floor dysfunction: a cross-sectional study

Shared decision-making (SDM) is a key component of patient-centered care for individuals with pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD); however, evidence on patient satisfaction with decision-making and its associated factors in PFD surgery remains limited. A cross-sectional study was conducted among patients scheduled for PFD surgery. Structured questionnaires and medical record data were used to evaluate decision-making satisfaction and associated factors. A total of 123 participants were included, with an average age of 57.24 ± 13.12 years. Regarding decision-making roles, 85.4% (105/123) of patients reported actual involvement in SDM. The mean SDM quality score was 89.02 ± 8.57, and the mean overall satisfaction score was 86.32 ± 12.77. Scores for the four dimensions of overall satisfaction were as follows: information (83.08 ± 16.76); communication and negotiation (82.88 ± 17.16); decision-making (87.80 ± 12.77); satisfaction and confidence (90.77 ± 11.98). Correlation analysis showed that overall satisfaction was positively correlated with all four dimensions of the satisfaction scale, with the strongest correlation observed for the communication and negotiation (r = 0.91), followed by information (r = 0.88), satisfaction and confidence (r = 0.86), and decision-making (r = 0.81). Univariate analysis indicated that surgical procedures, educational attainment, economic status, and residential location were correlation with patient overall satisfaction. Multivariate analysis revealed that SDM quality was the strongest predictor of satisfaction (t = 17.92, β = 0.84, P < 0.001), and independently explained 65.4% of the variance in patient overall satisfaction (F = 50.92, P < 0.001). Most patients reported high actual involvement in SDM and high overall satisfaction. SDM quality was the strongest independent predictor of patient overall satisfaction, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to improve SDM quality and optimize information delivery and communication.