Do doctors really want their patients involved in decision making? And even if many do, what are the barriers that prevent such involvement from taking place? Well, a new survey sheds some light on the issue and finds that many doctors would welcome more interaction with their patients when it comes time to make decisions, according to the Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making.
The survey of 402 primary care physicians found that 93 percent say that the concept of shared decision making sounds like a positive process, and 52 percent described it as a “very” positive process, particularly for tackling lifestyle problems and chronic conditions. In fact, about 80 percent say patients would be “much” more likely to improve in these areas with the technique. But there was slightly less confidence about using the method for reviewing surgery, cancer screening and taking new medications. 
There are some important barriers, though, to implementing shared decision making. Time was cited as the largest challenge, followed by the perception that patients do not understand all they need to know and preferring patients rely on physician advice for medical decisions. For example, 82 percent say it is “very” important for patients to be informed about taking new prescription medications, but only 16 percent say most of their patients are well informed in this area.
And 78 percent say recent changes in reimbursement rates have, not surprisingly, decreased the time they can spend with each patient. And 51 percent say they are very concerned, in general, about not having enough time to spend with patients.
Just the same, the foundation believes that, by using shared decision making, physicians and their patients can “determine which choice matches what is most important to patients – delivering high quality care that is both evidence-based and patient-centered.” Here is the white paper with still more interesting insights.
