Patients and clinicians have different expertise when it comes to making consequential clinical decisions. While clinicians know information about the disease, tests and treatments, the patient knows information about their body, their circumstances, their goals for life and healthcare. It is only collaborating on making decisions together that the ideal of evidence-based medicine can come true.
This process of sharing in the decision-making tasks involves developing a partnership based on empathy, exchanging information about the available options, deliberating while considering the potential consequences of each one, and making a decision by consensus. This process — sometimes called patient-centered decision making, empathic decision making, or shared decision making — demands the best of systems of care, clinicians, and patients and as such remains an ideal.
In collaboration with the Wiser Choices Program at the Knowledge and Evaluation Research (KER) Unit at Mayo Clinic the Southeast Minnesota Beacon is leveraging shared decision aids with a goal of identifying and evaluating ways to help diabetic patients make well-informed decisions that reflect their values and goals with their clinician. The project extends this knowledge and derived decision aids into the Southeast Minnesota community.
Decision Aids
You can review & download the following decision aid material
- Decision Aids for Cardiovascular Prevention for Persons with Diabetes
- Decision Aids for Diabetes Medication Management
Diabetes Issue Cards – Mayo Clinic
This is a You Tube video on the use of the Diabetes Medication Choice in a typical patient with type 2 diabetes. For more information visit Dr. Montori’s Knowledge and Encounter Research Unit at Mayo Clinic.