Table 2.
Mean Preferred Involvement
| Decision | Mean Preferred Involvement ± SD |
|---|---|
| 1. Who should decide which diagnostic workup tools are used? Examples of diagnostic workup tools include laboratory tests and imaging such as radiographs or MRIs. | 2.6 ± 2.24 |
| 2. Who should decide which nonsurgical therapies are used? Examples include physical therapy, splinting/bracing treatment, medications such as anti-inflammatories, and injections like steroid injections. | 3.76 ± 2.26 |
| 3. Who should decide which surgical treatment is used? | 3.09 ± 2.33 |
| 4. Who should make the decision if I need to see my primary care provider or a specialist before surgery to make sure I am safe for surgery? | 3.37 ± 2.85 |
| 5. Who should decide which laboratory tests are used before surgery? | 2.14 ± 2.63 |
| 6. Who should decide when my surgical treatment is scheduled? Examples include time of the day and day of the week. | 4.75 ± 2.65 |
| 7. Who should decide where my surgery takes place? | 3.81 ± 2.70 |
| 8. Who should decide whether I use a special soap to clean my skin at home before surgery? | 1.77 ± 2.46 |
| 9. Who should make the decision if I need to have presurgery antibiotics? | 1.56 ± 2.15 |
| 10. Who should decide how to position me during surgery? Examples of positioning include on your back or on your stomach. | 1.26 ± 2.05 |
| 11. Who should decide which implants are used? Examples of implants include plates, screws, and replacements. | 2.02 ± 2.33 |
| 12. Who should decide which sutures are used to close my incision? Examples of sutures include dissolvable and nondissolvable. | 1.29 ± 1.90 |
| 13. Who should decide the size of my surgical incision? | 1.13 ± 1.98 |
| 14. Who should decide which anesthesia is used during my surgery? Examples of anesthesia include asleep during surgery, sedation, and local. | 2.37 ± 2.36 |
| 15. Who should decide which type of immobilization is used after my surgery? Examples of immobilization include casts and braces. | 1.83 ± 2.22 |
| 16. Who should decide what type of postsurgery pain medication I receive? | 3.35 ± 2.39 |
| 17. Who should decide how I do my therapy? Examples include seeing a physical therapist or being taught by my surgeon to do my own exercises. | 3.97 ± 2.43 |
| 18. Who should decide whether I use virtual care after surgery? | 4.30 ± 2.59 |
| 19. Who should decide when I can get your surgical site wet after surgery? | 1.27 ± 2.03 |
| 20. Who should decide when the dressing or splint should be removed after my surgery? Examples include 3 d after the surgery or 2 wk after the surgery. | 1.29 ± 1.95 |
| 21. Who should decide when I can return to normal activities? Examples of activities include sports. | 2.37 ± 2.30 |
| 22. Who should decide when I can return to work or school? | 3.15 ± 2.53 |
| 23. Who should decide whether I get radiographs at my follow-up appointments? | 1.56 ± 2.14 |
| 24. Who should decide when I stop seeing my surgeon for a follow-up appointments? | 2.65 ± 2.50 |
| 25. Who should decide when my implant can be removed? | 1.58 ± 2.25 |
Questions were evaluated with a score of 0–10 for each decision, where 0 indicated no patient involvement (fully passive role),1–4 indicated a semipassive role, 5 indicated equally shared involvement between patient and surgeon, 6–9 indicated a semiactive role, and 10 indicated no surgeon involvement (fully active role).