Shared Decision Making

A key focus for Therapeutic Associates Physical Therapy is continuously improving the experience our patients and their family members have during their time at our locations. One aspect of that experience is getting patients more actively involved in the planning of the care they receive. This is known as Shared Decision Making (SDM).

An important aspect of starting this SDM relationship on the right foot is helping you clearly discuss your desired outcome for therapy with your therapist. Please follow this LINK to follow through a checklist that will help you prepare your thoughts on desired outcomes and may push you to look at those outcomes from different angles. This will help you more efficiently complete the functional outcomes measures that will be sent to your email two days before your first appointment.

Shared Decision Making - Physical Therapy

Why is Shared Decision Making important?

Providers feel the pressure to do more in less time to combat a ravenous reimbursement landscape and ever-evolving healthcare system. The result? Patients feel frustrated and dissatisfied with their care because they do not feel like they have adequate (if any) input into the decisions that clinicians make about their health and their lives. We believe in putting the patient first and making sure your voice is heard in your care. Shared Decision Making allows the patient to be a part of his or her own healthcare team. After discussing options, you, together with the provider, come up with a plan that includes treatment and follow-up options.

Articles About Shared Decision Making

How Can You Be an Active Partner in Your Healthcare Decisions

There is a growing trend to take a more active role in our own health and well-being. Many of us feel more comfortable questioning decisions that impact our bodies, and we don’t blindly follow the advice of our doctors as we may have done in the past. However, we still need to be aware of ways that healthcare providers can better interact with us to help us make decisions. Shared Decision Making is an important component to the ever-changing face of modern healthcare. On the most basic level, Shared Decision Making is a conversation between a patient and healthcare provider regarding treatment options, goals, and treatment plan.

The Value of Shared Decision Making Through the Lens of a Physical Therapist

Shared Decision Making also means reflecting on my thoughts with my patient. This is not a new concept; all good clinical reasoning involves reflection. But when I do this, I find myself sharing my patient’s narrative interpretation of the problem (and not just listing findings). Shared Decision Making involves transparency about misunderstandings and exposing both of our belief systems that often become a roadblock to recovery. All of this creates a closeness with my patients that I never expected. Not only are these the attributes of advanced practitioners, as evidenced in many research studies, but they also contribute to the most enjoyable way of practicing as a PT.
Shared Decision Making

Shared Decision Making and the Treatment of Pain

Physical therapists understand that pain and function are two different concepts. When we focus on understanding pain while simultaneously assisting patients back to doing what they love or need to do, pain often subsides. A theory toward pain and function was published in 2014 by the late Louis Gifford, a world-famous pain scientist. Those seeking more collaborative care can work together with their physical therapist to gain better control of their pain, and more importantly, their life and general function, by seeing their recovery as a two-phase approach. This is the essence of Shared Decision Making — patients and providers collaborating on the best plan and the desired outcomes.
Shared Decision Making

Shared Decision Making – Paving the Way to Patient-Centered Care

In today’s healthcare environment, providers feel the pressure to do more in less time to combat a ravenous reimbursement landscape and ever-evolving healthcare system. The result? Patients feel frustrated and dissatisfied with their care because they do not feel like they have adequate (if any) input into the decisions that clinicians make about their health and their lives. At Therapeutic Associates Physical Therapy, we believe there is another way. We believe in putting the patient first and making sure your voice is heard in your care. Our Physical Therapists use a concept called Shared Decision Making as one of the pillars of our approach. Shared Decision Making allows the patient to be a part of his or her own healthcare team.