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Advancing Shared Decision Making
For over two decades, the Informed Medical Decisions Foundation has been working to advance shared decision making through research, policy, clinical models and patient decision aids. We believe that the only way to ensure high quality medical decisions are being made is for a fully informed patient to participate in a shared decision making process with their health care provider.
Current News from Informed Medical Decisions Foundation
Upcoming Stakeholder Meeting Aims to Raise Awareness of Misaligned Incentives in Health Care Reimbursement
In recent years, efforts to implement shared decision making (SDM) in routine clinical practice have advanced; however, implementation has proved challenging and numerous reports have identified misaligned incentives in health care reimbursement as a root cause.
On May 23 and 24, leading researchers, providers, policy makers and payers focused on facilitating widespread implementation of shared decision making will convene in Washington, D.C. to participate in a critical discussion about how to better align incentives to foster this spread. “Aligning Incentives for Patient Engagement: Enabling Widespread Implementation of Shared Decision Making”* provides the opportunity to increase awareness of misaligned incentives as a barrier to patient engagement through shared decision making, as well as help shape the future of how SDM is practiced.
During this one and one-half day event, champions in shared decision making implementation will share personal stories of success and failure in implementing SDM into routine clinical practice. These stories will provide lessons learned and potential solutions for a path toward incentives truly aligned to support patient engagement. In addition, individuals leading innovative efforts to integrate shared decision making as a means to increase patient-centered care, reduce costs and improve the quality of care will share methods for fostering widespread implementation of SDM.
There has never been a better time to think critically about how to better align incentives for patient engagement through shared decision making. Each and every participant will play a crucial role in laying the groundwork to create a roadmap for sustainable models of shared decision making, and therefore improving our health care system as a whole.
The Informed Medical Decisions Foundation is pleased to be co-sponsoring this key stakeholder meeting with the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
This is an invite-only event; however, we are pleased to offer you the opportunity to view the live broadcast of this meeting. Please register below for access to the live broadcast and download the meeting agenda for a detailed schedule of sessions. We also invite you to join the conversation on Twitter by following #SDMincentives.
Download the agenda. (PDF 356 kb)
Register for the live broadcast.
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*This meeting is funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
An Interview with Ishani Ganguli, MD
As part of the first-ever Shared Decision Making Month this past March, the Informed Medical Decisions Foundation interviewed Dr. Ishani Ganguli, a second-year resident at Massachusetts General Hospital’s own primary care innovation, the Ambulatory Practice of the Future (APF) and Short White Coat blogger. The APF focuses on empowering patients to be more engaged and involved in their health care by placing the patient at the very center of the care team. Ishani was drawn to APFs model of innovation and desire to understand the whole patient over a period of time. During our conversation with Ishani, we will hear how the APF is changing the future of primary care through technology, space and processes, and how shared decision making plays a role at the practice. Continue reading
American College of Physicians Endorses Shared Decision Making Approach for Prostate Cancer Screening
In a guidance statement published Tuesday in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the American College of Physicians (ACP) joined the heated discussion on PSA testing by endorsing a shared decision making approach for prostate cancer screening. The ACP Clinical Guidelines Committee developed this guidance statement after reviewing current guidelines on prostate cancer screening in the U.S.
To this end, a shared decision making approach is appropriate for decisions about prostate cancer screening due to the preference-sensitive nature of the decision. We believe it is imperative that patient preferences be incorporated in the decision-making process and applaud the ACP for supporting a shared decision making approach for decisions about prostate cancer screening. By having an informed conversation about a diagnostic tool and disease that is often poorly understood, men can feel confident that they’ve made the decision that’s right for them. Continue reading
Shared Decision Making Month Comes to a Close: A Personal Thank You to All Those Who Participated
I’d like to start by thanking everyone who has contributed to Shared Decision Making (SDM) Month. We’ve been overwhelmed by the support of this initiative. During the month of March we have heard from roughly 50 contributors representing a variety of perspectives on how fostering a health care system where shared decision making is the norm, is critical. We have also heard time and again that shared decision making is essential to providing patients with the high-quality care that patients deserve. However, contributors have also shown that the complex and fragmented nature of health care systems can make it difficult to take shared decision making theory and turn it into meaningful and sustainable everyday practice. Continue reading
The Veterans Administration Makes Shared Decision Making Resources Available to Help with Long Term Care Choices
Being informed and involved in medical decisions about long term care choices is critically important for older patients. The Guide to Long Term Care is now the core of the Veterans Administration’s Geriatrics and Extended Care website, partly in response to the needs of the growing number of aging Veterans – of the nation’s 23 million Veterans, almost half are over 65. Continue reading
