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Monthly Archives: December 2011
Decision Aids Minimize Complexities of PSA Test
Decision aids are important tools in ensuring patients understand the medical choices they face. Our decision aid “Is a PSA Test Right for You?”, takes a look at the same medical evidence that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recently reviewed, and highlights what the evidence tells us about the PSA test’s benefits- which are uncertain or limited for many men- and the harms of treatment if a screening results in a prostate cancer diagnosis. Continue reading
Author Spotlight: Angela Coulter, PhD
“What [we need] is a radical change in the way medicine is practiced,” says Angela Coulter, director of global initiatives at the Informed Medical Decisions Foundation and author of Engaging Patients in Healthcare, her latest book. Angela’s book is a comprehensive, evidence-based textbook that explores the ways in which patient engagement can improve overall health care. Continue reading
Posted in Author Spotlight, Current News
Tagged Angela Coulter, health care, patient engagement, patients
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Expanding the International Reach of our Decision Aids
The Informed Medical Decisions Foundation is currently working to expand the international reach of our decision aids with a number of exciting localization projects currently in the works with our partner Bupa and other international colleagues. Three academic groups in French-speaking countries are working with our staff to develop a study to evaluate the use of decision aids for prostate cancer screening. Continue reading
Posted in Current News, Decision Aid News
Tagged Bupa, decision aids, shared decision making
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UCSF Breast Cancer Decision Support Inspires Edinburgh
Inspired by Dr. Jeff Belkora’s work with shared decision making at the UCSF Breast Care Center, Dr. Belinda Hacking brought a similar model to Edinburgh. Macmillan Cancer Support provided Belinda and her team with a generous grant for a pilot study integrating decision support into medical care for breast, prostate, brain and colorectal cancer. Preliminary results have shown that patients believed the intervention had a positive effect on their experience. Continue reading
