The strongest argument for shared decision making is that patients have a fundamental right to understand all the reasonable medical options and the arguments for and against each option. Simply put, informing and involving patients in medical decisions is the right thing to do. By being informed and involved, patients have the ability to avoid having surgery that exposes them to risks they do not think are worth the benefits. In addition to those certain benefits, the evidence is also mounting that shared decision making is likely to pay for itself — and it may well do better than that.
Read the full white paper: “Shared Decision Making & Medical Costs.” (PDF 311 kb)
