Professor Anya E.R. Prince recently published an article in the Journal of Vascular Surgery with Professor Jun Xu of the Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa, titled “Shared Decision-Making in Vascular Surgery.”

From the abstract:

Background

Ideally, patients’ decision-making regarding surgical options should reflect myriad implicit values. The informed consent process is meant to ensure that patients’ values mirror clinical decisions regarding expectations for outcomes, such as quality of life, life expectancy, and subsequent pain and suffering. However, surgeons are not always equipped to discuss patients’ values.

Methods

Shared decision-making is a method that could help surgeons elicit patients’ values and subsequently improve the patient’s knowledge and satisfaction, among other important outcomes. Yet, several barriers hinder implementation of shared decision-making in the clinic, such as time, interpersonal characteristics, and trust. To address concerns, several tools and approaches have been developed to increase shared decision-making in the clinic. This article highlights two strategies: the three-talk model and decision aids.

Conclusions

Shared decision-making is a tool that could be especially valuable in discussions regarding elective surgery. Further research is needed to determine how best to implement shared decision-making in the surgical setting. Without full integration of patients’ values into discussions of surgical options, there will continue to be a disconnect between the surgical procedures, outcomes, and patients’ values.

Read the full article here.

Jun Xu & Anya E.R. Prince, Shared Decision-Making in Vascular Surgery, 70 J. Vascular Surgery 1711 (2019).

For more publications by Professor Prince, visit the Law Library’s faculty bibliography.