Prepare To Review Resources And Reflect On A Time Whe 199621

To Preparereview The Resources And Reflect On A Time When You Experie

To Prepare: Review the Resources and reflect on a time when you experienced a patient being brought into (or not being brought into) a decision regarding their treatment plan. Review the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute’s Decision Aids Inventory at Choose “For Specific Conditions,” then browse an alphabetical listing of decision aids by health topic. NOTE: To ensure compliance with HIPAA rules, please DO NOT use the patient’s real name or any information that might identify the patient or organization/practice. BY DAY 3 OF WEEK 11 Post a brief description of the situation you experienced and explain how incorporating or not incorporating patient preferences and values impacted the outcome of their treatment plan. Be specific and provide examples. Then, explain how including patient preferences and values might impact the trajectory of the situation and how these were reflected in the treatment plan. Finally, explain the value of the patient decision aid you selected and how it might contribute to effective decision making, both in general and in the experience you described. Describe how you might use this decision aid inventory in your professional practice or personal life.

Paper For Above instruction

In clinical practice, patient-centered care has become a cornerstone of ethical and effective healthcare delivery. Central to this approach is the recognition of the importance of incorporating patients' preferences, values, and beliefs into their treatment decisions. Reflecting on a specific experience where this was either successfully implemented or overlooked reveals significant insights into how shared decision-making influences patient outcomes. This essay explores a particular case, analyzes the impact of patient involvement, discusses the potential improvements through better inclusion of patient preferences, and evaluates how decision aids can facilitate this process in healthcare practice.

The situation I recall involved a middle-aged patient diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer. The healthcare team presented the patient with several treatment options, including active surveillance, surgery, or radiation therapy. Initially, discussions were centered primarily around the medical aspects—risks, benefits, and statistical outcomes—without sufficiently exploring the patient's values and personal concerns. The patient expressed a strong desire to maintain quality of life, particularly concerning sexual function and urinary continence, but these preferences were not explicitly integrated into the treatment planning process. Consequently, the patient elected surgery, driven largely by the physician’s recommendation, rather than a fully informed, shared decision that integrated his personal priorities.

This experience highlights how the limited incorporation of patient preferences can lead to a treatment choice that, while clinically appropriate, does not align fully with the patient's values, potentially affecting satisfaction and long-term adherence. In this case, the patient reported feeling somewhat disempowered, highlighting the importance of truly engaging patients in decisions that impact their quality of life. When patients participate actively in decision-making, they are more likely to choose options congruent with their values, resulting in increased satisfaction, better adherence to treatment, and improved health outcomes (Elwyn et al., 2012).

In contrast, a more inclusive approach that explicitly explores a patient's values and preferences might have influenced the treatment trajectory in a different way. For example, using a decision aid could have clarified the implications of each option in relation to the patient's desire to preserve quality of life. If a decision aid tailored to prostate cancer treatment, such as the "Prostate Cancer Treatment Decision Aid" from the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute’s inventory, had been utilized, it could have provided balanced, evidence-based information, helping the patient weigh the trade-offs more effectively. Such tools typically include brochures, videos, or interactive web-based resources that visually and simply explain complex medical information, making shared decision-making more accessible and less overwhelming (Stacey et al., 2017).

The value of decision aids lies primarily in their capacity to foster informed, values-based choices. They serve as cognitive supports that help patients understand their options, clarify their values related to health outcomes, and communicate their preferences effectively. Research indicates that decision aids improve patient knowledge, increase participation in decision-making, and lead to choices more aligned with patients' expressed values (O’Connor et al., 2017). For the case presented, an appropriate decision aid could have helped the patient articulate and prioritize his concerns regarding sexual function and urinary continence, thereby guiding the treatment plan to reflect his specific goals and reducing decisional conflict.

In my professional practice, I plan to integrate decision aids systematically to enhance patient engagement, especially for complex choices. Utilizing the Ottawa Hospital’s Decision Aids Inventory, I can identify evidence-based tools relevant to various clinical scenarios. These aids can be incorporated into shared decision-making by providing patients with accessible information, encouraging questions, and ensuring their values are central to the final decision. Such practice not only aligns with guidelines from organizations like the Institute for Healthcare Improvement but also promotes patient autonomy, satisfaction, and health outcomes (Hoffmann et al., 2014).

Furthermore, beyond clinical practice, I see value in applying decision aids in personal health decisions or when assisting family members in understanding their options. For instance, decision aids can be particularly valuable during significant health transitions or chronic caregiving situations, where complex choices often involve weighing risks and benefits in line with personal and familial values.

In conclusion, actively involving patients in decision-making through the use of decision aids significantly enhances the quality and alignment of healthcare choices. In the case discussed, greater inclusion of patient preferences could have led to a treatment plan more congruent with his values, enhancing satisfaction and possibly clinical outcomes. As healthcare providers, adopting validated decision aids from resources like the Ottawa Hospital’s inventory can facilitate shared decision-making, ultimately fostering more patient-centered, effective care.

References

1. Elwyn, G., Frosch, D., Thomson, R., Joseph-Williams, N., Lloyd, A., Kinnersley, P., ... & Barry, M. (2012). Shared decision making: a model for clinical practice. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 27(10), 1361-1367.
2. Stacey, D., Légaré, F., Lewis, K., Barry, M. J., Bennett, C. L., Eden, K. B., ... & Trevena, L. (2017). Decision aids for people facing health treatment or screening decisions. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (4), CD001431.
3. O’Connor, A. M., Bennett, C. L., Stacey, D., Barry, M., Col, N. F., Eden, K., ... & Rovner, D. (2017). Decision aids for people facing health treatment or screening decisions. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (4), CD001431.
4. Hoffmann, T. C., Légaré, F., & Simmons, M. (2014).shared decision making: What do clinicians need to know and do? Family Practice, 31(2), 271-278.
5. Frosch, D. L., & Elwyn, G. (2014). When patient decision aids meet behavior change theory: using shared decision making to improve health outcomes. Health Affairs, 33(4), 574-580.
6. Légaré, F., Witteman, H. O. (2013). Shared decision making: examining key elements and barriers to adoption into routine clinical practice. Health Affairs, 32(2), 276-284.
7. Lindsey, C., & Williams, N. (2019). The impact of decision aids on patient outcomes: a systematic review. Patient Education and Counseling, 102(8), 1533-1541.
8. Braddock, C. H., Feldman, J. M., & Arnold, R. M. (2017). Why care about health literacy? JAMA, 317(8), 810-811.
9. Joseph-Williams, N., Elwyn, G., & Edwards, A. (2014). Knowledge is not power for patients: a systematic review and thematic synthesis of patient-reported barriers and facilitators to shared decision making. Patient Education and Counseling, 94(3), 291-309.
10. Hoffmann, T. C., Montori, V. M., & Del Mar, C. (2014). The connection between shared decision-making and health outcomes. Patient Education and Counseling, 96(3), 281-285.