Foundation Perspectives
The Foundation and its partners are often asked to cite research to support the efficacy of shared decision making (SDM). Although the research is plentiful, it is contained in a variety of disparate publications and not in the most reader-friendly formats. In an effort to make SDM research more accessible to policymakers, the medical community, and patients, the Foundation's Senior Scientific Advisor, Dr. Floyd J. "Jack" Fowler is writing a series of short, plain language papers, to help answer commonly asked questions about the shared decision making process.
The subject matter of these Foundation Perspective papers is diverse - ranging from the evidence on how SDM is related to the cost of medical care to how well decision aids work for those limited literacy skills - but there is a common thread that runs throughout, "all of these papers will address issues central to the Foundation's mission of informing and involving patients in decisions about their care. Providing a synthesis of 'what we know' by distilling research from a variety of sources," says Jack. As the papers are published they will be made available on the website.