The Roadmap to Consumer Clarity in Healthcare Decision-Making

A Message from Alan Balch, CEO, National Patient Advocate Foundation

No one questions the importance of having patients be active, informed participants in making decisions about their health care and the treatment options available to them, yet genuine shared decision making has not been widely or easily accomplished. It is critical to incorporate patient values and goals in the shared decision-making process throughout the course of the illness. Shared decision-making (SDM) requires both patients and their providers to take steps to assure that these conversations occur, that they result in goal concordant treatment plans and that their value in affecting quality of life is measured.

The Patient Advocate Foundation undertook The Roadmap project with the support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to assess the current landscape of SDM and develop models that can be applied to a wide range of clinical settings across the spectrum of health care decision making. We launched The Roadmap project at our Policy Consortium in May 2017 with the publication of The Roadmap to Consumer Clarity. Our goal now is to have the National Patient Advocate Foundation work with partners, patients and providers to turn our model into reality.

This section includes materials about The Roadmap, patient, provider and expert comments, best practices and practical suggestions for implementing shared decision making. We invite you to review The Roadmap and share your comments and your experiences with us. You can sign up for updates and news about events, or indicate your interest in working with us to advance person-centered care.

What that really means is both philosophy and practice in which patients and their health care providers co-create their care. It’s a goal that is both lofty, and achievable.

— Alan J. Balch, PhD, Chief Executive Officer