Researchers surveyed 23 people from eight primary care sites participating in a three-year shared decision-making demonstration led by the Informed Medical Decisions Foundation.
The surveys revealed three main barriers to shared decision-making:
1. Overworked physicians
2. Insufficient provider training
3. Clinical information systems incapable of prompting or tracking patients through the decision-making process
Surveyors also identified two facilitators of shared decision-making:
1. Using automatic triggers for the distribution of decision aids
2. Engaging team members other than physicians in the process
The authors concluded “substantial investments in provider training, information systems and process reengineering may be necessary to implement shared decision making successfully.”
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