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Engaging patients and public in decision‐making: approaches to achieving this in a complex environment

Year: 2017

Type: article

Abstract: Engaging patients and public in decision-making: approaches to achieving this in a complex environmentWe are living in a dynamic, rapidly changing world with a more informed society, members of which hold greater expectations of health-care services and treatment outcomes.Consequently, the nature and delivery of health care is constantly changing, influenced by advances in medical science and technology, demography and greater public awareness of health and illness.These transformations have bearing on the dynamics of relationships that exist between patients and health-care professionals.A key change is the balance of power within relationships with a move away from the previous paternalistic approach, to one of partnership working and shared decision-making (SDM) based on currently available evidence. 1 If care is to be person-centred, then patients must be at the centre of decision-making as outlined in the Department of Health Liberating the NHSno decision about me without me.2 For this paradigm shift to be successful, education and support for both patients and professionals is essential.Patients require information and knowledge to meaningfully contribute to decision-making; professionals require the skills and confidence to give patients "permission" to have their say and accept that they too are experts when it comes to their health and illness.For both groups, there are a range of tools available to support the decision-making process, but these are not universally accepted.This issue of Health Expectations includes a range of papers exploring different aspects of patient participation in SDM, and the wider contribution of patient and public to a variety of

Source: Health Expectations

DOI: 10.1111/hex.12550

Author: Mary Chambers

Institutions: St George's, University of London, Kingston University London

Language: English

Topic: Patient-Provider Communication in Healthcare

Subfield: General Health Professions

Field: Health Professions

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $4,190