Shared Decision-Making: A Model for Effective Communication and Patient Satisfaction

TLDR: Today's healthcare practitioners are encouraged to create a partnership with a patient during treatment and care discussions that incorporates an individual’s values, goals, and preferences before giving informed consent, referred to as shared decision-making (SDM), and is utilized in a variety of clinical situations.

Abstract: C linicians engage patients in healthcare discussions on a daily basis. Dialogue is based on best practices and available evidence. Conversations commonly include a review of benefits, risks, and alternatives that are in line with what a reasonably prudent practitioner would do in a similar situation. This is referred to as informed consent because a patient will either agree or refuse a proposed option in regard to invasive treatments and procedures. Today’s healthcare practitioners are encouraged to create a partnership with a patient during treatment and care discussions that incorporates an individual’s values, goals, and preferences before giving informed consent. This manner of patient communication is referred to as shared decision-making (SDM) and is utilized in a variety of clinical situations. Patients are the primary source of control, meaning an individual requires nonbiased information and an opportunity to make personal decisions. Unfortunately, interactions can be rushed, have an inadequate amount of time for longer encounters, are not in a format that is understandable, lack active participation by both parties, and are even viewed as an administrative responsibility to fulfill accreditation requirements. Sometimes patients are hesitant to ask questions or are fearful of being described as a problematic or uncooperative. Likewise, a clinician may take a paternalistic approach deciding what is best for a patient instead of clearly understanding an individual’s goals and values. This is when SDM, a form of 2-way communication, becomes even more crucial in individualizing care. Three components are required to be identified as SDM. First, accurate, impartial, and comprehensible information to include no intervention or a right to