Shared decision-making experiences in child long-term ventilation: a systematic review

Introduction: Recent decades have seen an increase in children receiving long-term ventilation. To ensure that long-term ventilation decisions incorporate the perspectives of stakeholders, it is vital that empirical evidence is gathered to substantiate frameworks and guidance on shared decision-making for long-term ventilation. This systematic review and qualitative evidence synthesis aimed to clarify what shared decision-making constitutes in relation to long-term ventilation initiation for children and young people (<21 years). Methods: A systematic review of qualitative research was undertaken. Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Web of Science. Results: Findings from 13 studies were included representative of 363 caregivers and 143 healthcare professional experiences. Components that support shared decision-making included acknowledging the unique positionality of caregivers and ensuring caregivers were informed about the implications of long-term ventilation. Beneficial qualities of engagement between stakeholders included honest, clear and timely dialogue using lay, tactful and sensitive language. Conclusion: Our findings clarify components and approaches supportive of shared decision-making in discussions about long-term ventilation. This review therefore provides a valuable resource to implement shared decision-making practices in the context of long-term ventilation decisions for children and young people.