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Shared decision making must move from rhetoric to reality, says King’s Fund

BMJ 2011; 343 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.d4734 (Published 28 July 2011) Cite this as: BMJ 2011;343:d4734
  1. Jacqui Wise
  1. 1London

The Department of Health claims that it wants to put patients’ needs and wants at the heart of clinical decision making, but a report from the King’s Fund says there is a long way to go before shared decision making becomes the norm.

Health secretary Andrew Lansley coined the phrase, “Nothing about me, without me,” but there has been little guidance on what this really means and how the government intends to support shared decision making nationally, concludes the report Making shared decision making a reality.

Angela Coulter, co-author of the report, told the BMJ: “It’s time that the rhetoric around ‘Nothing about me, without me’ is made a reality. There is no plan at the moment, just a muddle.”

Patient surveys suggest that at least half of those who experienced a hospital episode would …

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