A Patient’s Guide to Shared Decision Making in Medicine

Are you ever unsure if you’re on the right medication or getting the best treatment for your diagnosis?

Dr. Patton sees patients every day who have questions like:

1. How do you talk to your doctor about your treatment goals?

2. What do you need to know about new drugs, side effects, and costs?

3. How does shared decision making change the way we choose medical care?

Explore these questions and more, and talk about what it means to create a plan that really fits you. 

Learn more about Dr. Eddie Patton HERE.

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Key Takeaways

1. The growing complexity of medical treatments, especially with new pharmaceuticals and therapies, can be overwhelming for patients. Navigating these options successfully requires open communication and collaboration between patients and their doctors to ensure the chosen treatment aligns with personal health goals and circumstances.

2. Moving away from a paternalistic model, the shared decision-making approach empowers patients to take an active role in their healthcare. By working with their doctors, patients are better able to choose treatments based on their values, lifestyle, concerns about side effects, and financial considerations—ultimately leading to improved adherence and outcomes.

3. Managing multiple medications and specialists can be complicated. Having a primary care physician or someone to oversee all treatments ensures medication interactions are monitored and therapies remain streamlined—reducing the risk of errors, unnecessary drugs, or conflicting treatments.

4. Financial pressures are a significant factor in determining the “right” treatment for each individual. Insurance coverage, medication costs, and access issues can influence decision-making and often require doctors and patients to be strategic or creative in finding viable, effective therapies.

5. While drug advertisements can raise awareness and foster important conversations between patients and doctors, they can also create unrealistic expectations or inappropriate demand for certain medications. Doctors and patients must critically assess advertised treatments to ensure decisions are tailored and evidence-based, not just marketing-driven.

Timestamped Overview

00:00 Optimizing Patient-Doctor Collaboration

03:38 Preparing for Biologic Treatment Decisions

09:09 Shared Decision-Making Benefits Compliance

10:21 Evolving Multiple Sclerosis Treatments

16:08 Missed Medication Leads to Hospitalization

18:58 Direct-to-Consumer Drug Marketing Benefits

21:30 Strengthening Patient-Doctor Relationships

23:59 Early High Efficacy Treatment Approach

27:14 Evaluating Treatment Approaches

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