Patient decision making
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Patient decision making
Introduction
It is vital to consider patients’ preferences and social determinants of health in all healthcare decisions to achieve the best-individualized care possible (Bouvy et al., 2020). Patients must participate in healthcare decisions to be well-informed and committed to the treatment plan.
Description of the Situation:
During a recent clinical experience, I took a patient who had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The person was a middle-aged male worker and father of a small family. He confessed that managing it would be both time-consuming and energy-sapping. To begin with, the healthcare team decided to treat the patient with a common treatment plan incorporating regular blood glucose monitoring, a strict diet and exercise regimen, and the use of drugs. The patient appeared distressed by all the expectations and was unsure how to work these changes around his busy life.
Impact of Incorporating Patient Preferences:
When seeing the patient’s anxious look, the team decided to make him more involved in deciding his well-being. We talked about his concerns and priorities and found out that he was very concerned about potential work time loss, as well as the possible impacts of the drugs on his ability to carry out his job. Exploring his social background and life circumstances, the team developed an adaptive treatment method responsive to his lifestyle. For example, we made his medication regimen such that the side effects would be minimal during work hours and recommended easily achievable dietary and exercise goals that fit his schedule.
A practitioner must develop a treatment plan reflecting his choices, work hours, and family affairs. This is more likely to reach his compliance goal. The patient verbalized his happiness and thankfulness for the changes, and he was more determined to adhere to the plan.
Impact of Incorporating Patient Preferences:
At the end of the treatment plan, the patient was glad and said he felt more in control and empowered. He consistently adhered to the personalized procedure, which ultimately resulted in better blood sugar control and, in fact, better quality of life. Hence, his participation in the process enabled the establishment of a better relationship with the healthcare team as they began to work together more effectively, in addition to building trust.
Patient Decision Aid Selection:
I chose the type 2 diabetes management patient-informed decision aid from the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute’s list of decision aids. This aid summarizes numerous treatment methods and their consequences and helps patients make their final preference (Bouvy et al., 2020). The decision aid could have been useful when I was in the clinic with the patient, as it would have given the patient better insight into his choices and eased his decision-making process.
Value of the Patient Decision Aid:
The design and implementation of the patient decision aid can be a useful weapon for physicians and patients. It provides information based on structured ideas, guiding you to look into distinct treatment options (Xu et al., 2022). This support can be used to achieve shared decision-making, inform the patient about the choices available to them, and have them participate actively in their treatment plan. It can improve the chances of compliance with the treatment plan and aid the health situation.
Application in Professional Practice and Personal Life:
Through this decision aid inventory, I would integrate it into my healthcare-related profession to help patients gain resources to spur them to participate in their healthcare. In my daily life, I can apply this knowledge to make logical and rational decisions about my health and the well-being of my loved ones. By acknowledging the patient’s values, choices, and health determinants, I can create healthcare that is more effective and individual-focused.
References
Bouvy, J. C., Cowie, L., Lovett, R., Morrison, D., Livingstone, H., & Crabb, N. (2020). Use of patient preference studies in HTA decision making: a NICE perspective. The Patient-Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, pp. 13, 145–149.
Xu, X., Guo, T., Liu, Z., Chen, P., Zhang, Y., Ji, Q., & Xie, H. (2022). A systematic review of patient preferences, expectations, and values for managing and treating hypertension. Patient preference and adherence, pp. 2867–2876.