Shared Decision-Making for the Promotion of Patient-Centered Imaging in the ED: Suspected Kidney Stones

Although a CT scan is required for some Emergency Department patients with signs and symptoms of a kidney stone, recent evidence has shown that routine scanning is unnecessary and may expose young patients to significant cumulative radiation, increasing their risk of future cancers. Shared Decision-Making may facilitate diagnostic imaging decisions that are more inline with patients' values and preferences. By comparing a shared approach to diagnostic decision-making to a traditional, physician-directed approach, this study lays the foundation for a future randomized trial that will reduce radiation exposure, improve engagement, and improve the quality and patient-centeredness of Emergency Department care.