What is shared decision making?
What is Shared Decision Making?
Shared Decision Making is a process in which you and your care team work together to make decisions about your healthcare. It is one of the most important aspects of patient-centered care.
When making decisions during pregnancy and childbirth, there may be times when the best option is clear, and there may be times when there is more than one reasonable option. When there is no one “right” answer, you and your care team will work as a team to determine what is best for your situation. In Shared Decision Making, your care team’s role is to provide objective information about potential outcomes for a given decision, and your role is to consider and communicate your feelings, preferences and values about various choices.
How Shared Decision Making Works
● If you are not aware that a decision needs to be made, your care team will let you know.
● They will then present you with the options available to you.
● They will also provide you with information about the benefits and risks of each option.
● And they will assist you in evaluating the options based on your goals and concerns.
● Once the decision is made, they will check to make sure you understand what will happen next, and discuss any possible obstacles in carrying out the decision.
Shared decision making helps build a trusting relationship between you and your care teams, and leads to more informed decisions and more satisfying outcomes for everyone involved.
How to use this tool
Welcome to Shared Expectations, Medstar Health’s guide to Shared Decision Making during pregnancy and childbirth. Experienced clinicians at Medstar Health designed this website to help patients understand the Shared Decision Making process as well as the many decisions parents-to-be face during pregnancy and childbirth.
Shared Decision Making is a key part of patient-centered healthcare. It is a process where clinicians and patients work as a team to make informed decisions that respect a patient’s values and healthcare goals.
What Is An Example of Shared Decision Making?
During the first trimester, you will decide whether or not to have genetic testing. There are several different kinds of tests. They are all optional and can give you information about the chances of your baby having a genetic disorder such as Down Syndrome.
To support you in making a decision about a particular test, your care team will let you know:
● What the test involves.
● What the test can and cannot tell you.
● What risks are associated with the test.
● What your options are once you have the results.
With this decision, there really is no “right” answer. Whether you have genetic testing or not will be based on how you feel about the many issues involved, and what you might do with the information you learn.
How Do These Resources Help?
The stories and information presented here are intended to help you think through decisions you may need to make during your pregnancy and childbirth, and to encourage conversations with your care team. Bringing the printable handouts to your appointments can help you and your care team focus on what is most important to you as you make decisions together.
We encourage you to share your values and preferences with your care team, and hope you will use the tools available here to do so. In that way, you can help build a trusting relationship with them, which leads to a much more satisfying experience.
