The American Medical Association Recognizes Shared Decision Making

Readers of the Disease Management Care Blog may be surprised to learn that the American Medical Association "recognizes" shared decision making.  A document recommending precisely that is available for your reading pleasure here.

Its a good review of the topic and makes for interesting reading. While the DMCB knew that the term "shared decision making" was specifically mentioned in the Affordable Care Act, it didnt know that there was an group called the International Patient Decision Aids Standards (IPDAS) Collaboration that is developing and piloting standards.  It also didnt know that there is an academic entity in Canada called the Ottawa Health Research Institute (OHRI) that is devoted to research on the topic.  The one area in which the Americans seem to still be leading, however, is commercializing the concept.

The AMA also recognizes that shared decision making can make the physician-patient relationship stronger, opposes any effort to link it to insurance coverage and supports more pilot programs.

This makes the DMCB happy to be an AMA member.