Shared Medical Decision Making: We’re in This Together

The relationship between patients and doctors has been changing from the traditional model in which a doctor decides on a treatment course without significant patient input. In recent years, awareness of the importance of the patient’s role in managing his or her own care has been steadily growing–fed not only by such trends as the proliferation of health information on the internet and direct-to-consumer advertising, but also by the emerging science of patient-centered decision making.

One way to facilitate shared decision making is through the use of decision support tools, which offer the patient high quality medical information in an easily understandable format. How do these tools work? How might shared decision making benefit patients, purchasers and providers of care? What role can shared decision making play in the larger effort to improve the quality and lower the cost of health care? How does the Affordable Care Act affect shared decision making? What risks, if any, are involved?

To address these and related questions, the Alliance for Health Reform, the National Committee for Quality Assurance and the Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making sponsored a February 14 briefing. Panelists were: Helen Darling, National Business Group on Health; Michael Barry, Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making; Karen Merrikin, Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound; and David Shern, Mental Health America. Ed Howard of the Alliance moderated.

Transcript

Full Transcript (Adobe Acrobat PDF)

Speaker Presentations

Karen Merrikin Presentation (PowerPoint)
Helen Darling Presentation (PowerPoint)
David Shern Presentation (PowerPoint)
Michael Barry Presentation (PowerPoint)

Event Details

Agenda (Adobe Acrobat PDF)
Speaker Biographies (Word Document)