DHMC Comprehensive Breast Program

The Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center Comprehensive Breast Program is a multi-disciplinary team effort that focuses on caring for the whole patient. For many patients, Shared Decision-Making® programs about breast cancer surgery options, access to decision counseling, and screening for distress have eased the process of making tough treatment choices.

The Comprehensive Breast Program (CBP) has found that it is feasible and beneficial to integrate decision support into routine care. Helping patients to clarify their preferences for competing treatments is an essential function of Shared Decision Making programs.

The Process:

Before meeting with a surgeon, all patients at the CBP are scheduled for an intake appointment. Using a touchpad computer, patients complete a computerized, self-reported health history that includes an assessment of decisional conflict and treatment preference. After completing the survey, patients view the Shared Decision-Making program: “Treatment Choices for Early Stage Breast Cancer”. A summary of the survey results is forwarded electronically to the surgeon, ensuring real-time clinical and decision process data for use during the consultation.

The Measurable Results

Visit Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center Comprehensive Breast Program Home Page

Watch the video. It takes you through the process that allows patients to understand their choices and make decisions based on their individual values and preferences. While the journey may be difficult, the support and knowledge that arise from a shared decision-making process can be enormously beneficial. Go directly to the video page now.