Physician-patient communication in vascular surgery: Analysis of encounters in academic practice.

The 9-item shared decision-making questionnaire data showed that patients mostly felt their physician was adequate in exhibiting shared decision-making behaviors. However, physicians asked closed-ended questions that elicited "yes/no" or brief responses, continuously interrupted patient narratives, and rarely checked for understanding from their patients. These subliminal behaviors restrict patient participation in shared decision-making and may be corrected via longitudinal intervention.