Knudsen, Bettina M.Søndergaard, Stine R.Carley, MegSteffensen, Karina D.Stacey, Dawn2026-01-202026-01-202025-12-08BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making. 2025 Dec 08;26(1):17https://doi.org/10.1186/s12911-025-03261-8http://hdl.handle.net/10393/51279Abstract Background Patient decision aids (PtDAs) provide benefits and risks of options for a specific decision, and help patients clarify their values. This study examined whether the timing of PtDA use—before (pre-consult) or during (in-consult) the clinical encounter—affects patient-clinician communication. Methods We conducted a secondary analysis of 209 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in the 2024 Cochrane review of PtDAs compared to usual care. Eligible studies measured patient-clinician communication using observer-, patient- or clinician-reported instruments. Results Thirty-six RCTs met inclusion criteria, reporting on communication outcomes: 21 evaluated pre-consult PtDAs and 15 in-consult PtDAs. Pre-consult PtDAs commonly addressed screening and treatment decisions, often using digital formats. In-consult PtDAs focused on treatment and were mostly paper-based. For pre-consult PtDAs, 68.6% of patients discussed the decision with their clinician versus 50.2% in usual care (p < 0.001), though no difference was found for patient-reported SDM-Q-9 scores. In-consult PtDAs significantly improved communication measured by the observer-rated OPTION12 instrument. Conclusions The effects of PtDAs varied by timing and measurement approach, with in-consult PtDAs potentially offering more structured support for shared decision making. No studies directly compared pre- and in-consult PtDAs. Future research should directly compare these approaches and use consistent communication measures.Journal Article2026-01-20enThe Author(s)