Shared Decision-Making: Some cautionary observations in the context of elite sport

Darren James Paul; Luke Jones; Paul Read

doi:10.1186/s40798-022-00413-2

Shared Decision-Making: Some cautionary observations in the context of elite sport

Sports Med Open. 2022 Mar 30;8(1):44. doi: 10.1186/s40798-022-00413-2.

Authors

Darren James Paul¹, Luke Jones², Paul Read^{3

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Affiliations

¹ Aspetar - Qatar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Research and Scientific Support, PO Box 29222, Doha, Qatar. daz_paul@hotmail.com.
² Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK.
³ Institute of Sport Exercise and Health, London, UK.
⁴ Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, UK.
⁵ School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Gloucestershire, Gloucester, UK.

Abstract

The concept of shared decision-making (SDM) has emerged as a key component in the return to play interface as a hallmark of good practice that is athlete focused and allows greater engagement from the athlete. SDM is an appealing, well-intentioned framework that would seemingly lend itself to effectively being implemented. However, in this editorial, we have identified concerns surrounding the social complexities of elite sports and the difficulties of truly applying this concept in practice. In what follows, we explain the dynamics associated, discuss the importance of context when considering the efficacy of this practice and lastly offer what we see as certain key issues that might impede effective SDM.

Keywords: Athlete; Barriers; Context; Mediators; Relationships; Staff; Values.