Introduction Most shared decision making (SDM) models have been limited to the patient-clinician dyad and do not include nurses. The goal of this study is to investigate nurse’s role in the SDM process in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), multiple myeloma (MM), and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

Methods A comparative analysis was performed, based on three disease-specific qualitative studies using semi-structured interviews with patients (n=25), caregivers (n=11), clinicians (n=18), nurses (n=14), and other members of the multidisciplinary team (n=14) involved in the care pathway of IBD, MM, or DMD patients in Belgium.

Results Across disease areas, participants underscored the crucial role of nurses in the SDM process as an accessible point of contact for patients that can provide emotional, informational, and decisional support. Specifically for IBD and MM, nurses’ complementary role to gastroenterologists and haematologists was emphasized, performing the steps of the OPTION instrument that clinicians either did not execute or executed to a lesser extent. However, the allocation of tasks and responsibilities to nurses varied based on the hospital and clinician, thereby influencing the extent of nurses’ role in SDM. In DMD also other members of the multidisciplinary team next to nurses and clinicians had a role in the SDM process (table 1).

Discussion and Conclusion Results indicate the need for an increased recognition and a more strengthened role of the nurse in the SDM process. Future research should develop an interprofessional SDM model specific to IBD, MM, and DMD, as it could enhance the multidisciplinary nature of care delivery and its overall quality thereof.