Shared Decision Making (SDM) ensures that patients are supported to be as involved in the decision making process as they would wish and means patients are supported to:
- understand the care, treatment and support options available and the risks, benefits and consequences of those options
- make a decision about a preferred course of action, based on evidence-based, good quality information and their personal preferences.
Clinicians and individuals work together to select tests, treatments, management or support packages, based on evidence and the individual's informed preferences.
SDM is relevant in any non life-threatening situation when a health or care decision needs to be made and a range of options (including doing nothing) is available.
By paying attention to individuals' informed preferences, we can support patients to achieve outcomes that matter to them.
Before you see your health or care professional
Questions to ask
Write down any questions you want to ask and think about what you want to achieve through your treatment. Think about what matters most to you, using the following questions as prompts.
- What are your most important goals for your health and wellbeing?
- What do you hope to achieve through your healthcare?
- What worries you most about your health or treatment?
- Are there any specific fears or concerns you have regarding your treatment or care plan?
- How does your health condition impact your daily life?
- How much information do you want about your condition and treatment options?
- What does quality of life mean to you?
Things to consider
- Ask for an interpreter, or someone to help you understand if you feel you need to.
- Take someone you trust if you feel you need support.
- Say if you need more information or there is something you do not understand.
- Let them know if you need the information presented differently.
- If there is a word that you cannot understand, ask them to write it down and explain it
- Tell them the degree to which you want to be involved in decisions.
- Take notes, or ask a friend or family member to do it for you.
- Check what will happen next and when.
- Find out who to contact if you have problems or questions.
- Ask for copies of letters written about you - or ask for correspondence to be sent to you, and copied to your healthcare team.
