Qualitative health research
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Shared decision making (SDM) is regarded as an ideal in chronic illness care but is difficult to implement in practice. Communication and reflection play an important role and need further investigation. Using grounded theory, we studied patient-provider interaction in a difficult and advanced area: managing poorly controlled diabetes. ⋯ SDM involved co-creating person-centered knowledge: concrete evidence which empowered patients and professionals in problem solving. Although further testing is required, the general tenets of the model are expected to be applicable across chronic conditions. Findings indicate that SDM in chronic illness care requires innovation in current approaches to decision making and problem solving.