Shared Decision Making

Shared Decision Making

Shared decision making (SDM) is an approach to involving patients in medical decisions that is appropriate when clinical evidence supports more than one approach to care. To be skilled in SDM, clinicians must be competent and confident in providing patients with evidence-based information about treatment options and outcomes, and explore patient goals and preferences in order to determine the best treatment for each patient.

This online activity will highlight the main gaps and challenges to engaging patients in shared decision making and demonstrate practical strategies to overcome those challenges in conversations with patients. Participants will learn how to use SDM in clinical practice to improve their ability to communicate risks and benefits to patients, to communicate the likelihood and probability of risks and benefits of tests and treatments, and their ability to elicit patient preferences.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

Identify the components of shared decision-making conversations Identify opportunities for shared decision making in clinical practice Recognize practical tips for conducting shared decision-making conversations with your patients Describe the skills needed to apply shared decision making to interactive and realistic patient cases

Target Audience

This course is designed for nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, primary care physicians, and specialty care physicians.

Course Directors

Karen Sepucha, PhD
Associate Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Director, Health Decision Sciences Center

Leigh Simmons, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Medical Director, Health Decision Sciences Center