A cultural lens on shared decision making

Shared Decision Making (SDM) is an essential component in quality midwifery practice. Women's involvement in SDM is accepted as a right: they should have the necessary information and be enabled to take an active role in decisions about their pregnancy (Légaré et al 2018). However, it is acknowledged that cultural barriers can reduce a woman's engagement in SDM (Hawley & Morris 2017). This is an important issue due to the continued racial disparities highlighted in maternal mortality reports (Knight et al 2020). Acknowledging the cultural perspective of the woman can facilitate SDM and lead to improved pregnancy outcomes.