Shared Decision-Making® is a way of working with your doctor to make treatment choices that are truly best for you.
When you practice Shared Decision-Making, your doctor provides you with medical knowledge about your condition and its treatment. You provide important knowledge about yourself. Only you can say how different treatment choices may affect your life. Only you know which treatment benefits are important to you and which risks are not acceptable.
In Shared Decision-Making you and your doctor consider all this information and make treatment choices that are based on medical facts and your preferences, feelings, and values. The result is a decision that works best for your health, your emotional well-being, and your life during and after treatment.
Studies show that people coached in Shared Decision-Making are more confident, motivated, and satisfied with their treatment decisions - because they've been key players in their own treatment and health management.
The Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making is dedicated to promoting Shared Decision-Making in healthcare by providing unbiased, up-to-date information about healthcare choices and outcomes to both patients and doctors.
Your Role in Shared Decision-Making
To participate in Shared Decision-Making, you need to:
- Inform yourself about the facts of your condition, including the possible benefits, risks, side effects, and outcomes of your treatment choices.
- Explore your feelings and preferences about your treatment choices by imagining how you might respond to each treatment and by hearing from others who have been through this experience.
- Talk with your doctor about the facts of your condition, as well as your preferences, to reach a decision.