A Guide to Employing Shared Decision Making in Clinical Practice
SHARED DECISION-MAKING | 4 MIN READING TIME
A Guide to Employing Shared Decision Making in Clinical Practice
Published April 15, 2022
Reading Time: 4 minutesShared decision making (SDM) in healthcare is a communication process that involves a patient and provider collaborating to determine the medical treatment that best fits the patient’s values and preferences. Although there is a preponderance of evidence to support the use of SDM, its adoption into routine medical practice has been slow. Even when a[…]
Advance Care Planning: A Tool for Healthcare Empowerment
Published March 30, 2022
Reading Time: 4 minutesThe onslaught of COVID-19 cases early in the pandemic derailed the process of shared decision making in healthcare by forcing in-the-moment medical decisions. The pandemic elucidated how health can deteriorate suddenly and unexpectedly, driving a call to action for individuals, families, and providers to initiate advance care planning (ACP) discussions and ensure end-of-life care wishes[…]
Recent Clinical Research in Palliative Care: 5 Key Takeaways
Published January 27, 2022
Reading Time: 3 minutesPalliative care is defined as medical care that is focused on relieving the symptoms associated with a chronic or life-threatening illness. It can be offered along with curative treatments at any stage of illness to provide comfort and support. It also includes guidance making important medical decisions and assistance with coordination of care. The goal[…]
The Potential of Artificial Intelligence to Transform Advance Care Planning
Published August 13, 2021
Reading Time: 3 minutesWhile once the stuff of science fiction, there have been significant advances in artificial intelligence (AI) over the last several decades. Today, AI is transforming industrial sectors across the world, including finance, transportation, national security, travel, city management and healthcare. Artificial intelligence (AI) is defined by the English Oxford Living Dictionary as “the theory and[…]
The Goals-of-Care Conversation: A Best-Practice, Step-By-Step Approach
Published January 15, 2021
Reading Time: 6 minutesEngaging patients in meaningful goals-of-care discussions is critical to providing patient-centered, individualized care. High quality care can only be achieved when a patient’s care is aligned with their goals, preferences, and values. A JAMA Internal Medicine review concluded that best practices for a goals-of-care conversation include: “sharing prognostic information, eliciting decision-making preferences, understanding fears and[…]
Goals-of-Care Conversations: Making the Most of Your Discussions
Published January 4, 2021
Reading Time: 4 minutesGoals-of-care conversations are the best way to discover a patient’s health care wishes and ensure goal-consistent care. When executed well, these discussions elevate the clinician-patient relationship, opening the door to trust, open communication, and shared decision making. In clinical practice, good communication techniques promote patient-centered care and are a cornerstone for conducting effective goals-of-care discussions.[…]
Goals-of-Care Conversations: 3 Ways to Improve Your Skills
Published October 15, 2020
Reading Time: 3 minutesGoals-of-care conversations help patients with serious illness clarify what they value most and what they hope to see happens with their medical care. Clinicians can use this information to formulate a plan of care around a patient’s values and preferences. Quite often, patients – particularly if they have recently been diagnosed with an illness or[…]