Shared decision making is the discussion between patients/caregivers and healthcare providers regarding various treatment options, guided by evidence-based strategies and materials called patient decision aids. Shared decision making is particularly effective in scenarios in which patients with serious illnesses are facing palliative care decisions. Although it shows promise for reducing unnecessary healthcare spending and costs, and for improving decision making without adverse effects on clinical outcomes, its adoption has not been widespread. Moreover, most shared decision-making tools focus on clinical choices without the inclusion of cost information.
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