Barry, MJ. Shared decision making: Informing and involving patients to do the right thing in health care. J Ambulatory Care Mange. 2012 Apr;35(2):90-8.
The author discusses the concept of preference-sensitive decisions, that is, decisions where multiple reasonable options exist, and how a shared decision making process is critical to addressing this specific area of medical decisions. The article also looks at patient decision aids and how these educational tools can complement shared decision making by making the practice of high-quality medical care both more effective and more efficient. Lastly, the author discusses the role of shared decision making in state and federal policy and how this legislation can assist in making shared decision making a routine practice in medical care.
