The process of shared decision-making (SDM) requires clinicians to set aside their personal biases or preferences for care, offer balanced information about all treatment options, and help patients’ navigate that information to arrive at their own decision. For learners striving to integrate reams of clinical knowledge and hone their clinical decision-making skills, the idea of sharing control over treatment recommendations may seem challenging. The role of educators is to model SDM in clinical encounters as well as didactic lectures. The objective is for learners to understand the role of SDM in patient-centered care as well as to implement SDM in cases where patients face choices amid equally effective and safe treatment options.

Click here to download Improving Contraceptive Counseling through Shared Decision-Making (slide set)

Christine Dehlendorf, MD MAS
Biftu Mengesha, MD
Angeline Ti, MD MPH