Depressed Latinx Older Adults’ Shared Decision-Making Preferences

The shared decision-making (SDM) model is the optimal patient-centered approach to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities in primary care settings. This study examined decision-making preferences and the desire to be knowledgeable of health-related information of a multiheritage group of depressed older Latinx primary care patients. The primary aim was to determine differences in treatment preferences for both general medical conditions and depression and desire to be knowledgeable of health-related information between older Puerto Rican adults compared to older non-Puerto Rican Latinx adults. We also examined whether depression severity moderated those relationships. A sample of 178 older Latinx patients were assessed on measures of decision-making preferences, information-seeking desires, and depression severity. Regression models indicated depression severity moderated the relationship between Latinx heritage and decision-making preferences that relate to general medical decisions, but not depression treatment. Specifically, Puerto Ricans with high levels of depression preferred to be more active in making decisions related to general medical conditions compared to non-Puerto Rican patients who preferred less active involvement. There was no difference between groups at low levels of depression as both groups preferred to be similarly active in the decision-making process. This investigation adds to the literature by indicating between-group differences within a Latinx older adult sample regarding decision-making preferences and the desire to be informed of health-related information. Future research is needed to identify other sociocultural characteristics that contribute to this disparity between Latinx heritage groups in their desires to participate in the decision-making process with their primary care provider.