Congratulations on taking the first steps towards incorporating SDM into your practice! You and your patients will be glad that you did.
SDM starts with you. Developing these skills is vital to providing the very best patient care.
Like so many of us in clinical practice, you're a busy person. You likely see a large number of patients, a variety of conditions at different stages, and face making many decisions.
You base your recommendations on the best available evidence. And the evidence shows that the best outcomes occur when patients 'buy-in' to their care, with an approach that is a 'best fit' with their personal values and care preferences.
Some example opportunities to involve patients and their caregivers include:
If you'd like more practice to develop your skills, see our SDM Skills Course.
SDM starts with you. Developing these skills is vital to providing the very best patient care.
Your patients may need to make crucial decisions about their health and treatment options. They may feel overwhelmed.
You're seeing the patient not only because of your specialized skill set but also because of the complexity of their situation. There may be more than one reasonable approach/treatment plan.
Some example opportunities to involve patients and their caregivers include:
If you'd like more practice to develop your skills, see our SDM Skills Course.
Studies show that when making decisions after thoughtful, informed discussions between patients and their doctors, patients:
Knowing that you've closely tied your care plan to who your patient is and what they value can be professionally and personally satisfying to you as a clinician.
The Beckwith Institute developed the center to establish UPMC as a national leader in patient-centered care.
UPMC is part of a national collaborative among others like Dartmouth, Mayo Clinic, and Massachusetts General Hospital.
Email us at DecisionMaking@upmc.edu.