Embedding shared decision-making (SDM) in patient pathways

Everyday thousands of people exercise their legal and ethical right to be involved in making decisions about their medical treatments. Ideally health professionals and patients work together to agree on treatment plans through shared decision-making (SDM); an approach that underpins global health policy and improves patient outcomes. However, UK surveys of 70,000 people show that this does not happen for 25% of patients, which is unacceptable. OU researchers have begun to tackle this problem in cardiology services. They have identified that the patient ‘pathway of care’ does not facilitate SDM. Something we want to partner with them on to change.