Patient‐defined goals for the treatment of severe aortic stenosis: a qualitative analysis

Patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) at high risk for aortic valve replacement are a unique population with multiple treatment options, including medical therapy, surgical aortic valve replacement and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Traditionally, in elderly populations, goals of treatment may favour quality of life over survival. Professional guidelines recommend that clinicians engage patients in shared decision making, a process that may lead to decisions more aligned with patient‐defined goals of care. Goals of care for high‐risk patients with AS are not well defined in the literature, and patient‐reported barriers to shared decision making highlight the need for explicit encouragement from clinicians for patient involvement.