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Creative ways are needed to personalize a patient's journey through surgery. One way we are doing this is through shared decision-making. Shared decision-making is a collaborative process in which healthcare professionals and patients work together to make decisions about the patient's treatment and care. This approach recognizes the importance of both the healthcare professional’s expertise and the patient’s preferences and values. Shared decision-making has been shown to improve patient understanding, satisfaction, and trust, as well as adherence and health behaviours. It has also been shown to improve symptoms and quality of life.

Patient decision aids are powerful tools that can significantly enhance shared decision-making. They are tools that allow healthcare professionals and patients to work together to make decisions regarding the patient's care. However, little research has investigated how best to incorporate patient decision aids and shared decision-making in a patient's journey through surgery. 

Our goal is to find the best way to incorporate patient decision aids and shared decision-making in a patient's journey through major abdominal surgery. An easy way to know if you are going to undergo a major abdominal surgery is if your surgeon expects your surgery to last more than two hours. There are many steps along this journey that can be personalized to your preferences and values.