3 Best Practices for Shared Decision-Making in Healthcare

Shared decision-making isn’t an entirely new system and exists in some form or another in all healthcare systems over the world. The shared decision-making process involves patients and healthcare professionals working together to make decisions, improving patient engagement and the quality of healthcare services.

Shared decision-making has numerous benefits. It allows patients to discuss their issues with healthcare professionals more openly and get a clearer picture of what the healthcare professionals are trying to do.

Keep reading this article to learn more about some practices that can help improve the shared decision-making process in the healthcare sector.

Practice # 1: Assist Patients To Understand Options

Healthcare isn’t an objective field. Treatments vary from patient to patient. Hence, it’s extremely important to understand patients’ priorities and concerns to figure out their preferences.

Helping patients evaluate their available options based on their concerns and goals will improve shared decision-making.

Practice # 2: Inform them of the Benefits and Risks

The only way the shared decision-making process can be successful is by giving patients all the relevant information. It’s crucial to educate patients and offer them relevant information based on the best and reliable scientific evidence.

This doesn’t end here; it’s also important to make sure and check back with patients if they’re clear on the information provided to them.

Practice # 3: Give Patients The Confidence To Stick With Their Decision

Once the patient has understood all the risks and benefits regarding their issue and has decided what they want to do, it’s important to make sure they follow through with their decision.

Informing the patient of the next steps, checking for understanding, and discussing any challenges they might face with their decision, are all part of helping them follow through on their decision.

Reach Out To IHBR To Enhance Communication Skills in Clinical Practice

One of the most crucial elements of easily accessible healthcare is its ability to provide patients with the opportunity to make decisions about their health conditions with improved physician-patient communication.

At the IHBR Center, we work hard to promote the idea of facilitating patient-doctor communication and the significance of risk communication during COVID-19. Reach out to us for an all-in-one platform for patients and doctors to access a wide range of online medical books related to Communication Skills in Clinical Practice and doctors’ training. Contact us right away to learn more today!

Disclaimer: Please note that this content has been proofread manually and through grammar checkers to eliminate all spacing errors. Any spacing errors you may come across are due to compatibility issues in Microsoft Word.