> Working with Health Care Providers: Shared Decision-Making
What is shared decision-making?
An important part of quality health care is shared decision-making between you and your health care provider. In shared decision-making, your provider shares information about your diagnostic tests and treatments and together you make decisions that best fit with your preferences, needs and values.
Shared decision-making and complementary therapy
Shared decision-making is especially important when considering complementary therapy as part of your breast cancer care. While some complementary therapies can be used alongside standard care, others have harmful side effects. Some interfere with the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Others can increase surgical risks (for example, some interfere with blood clotting which can lead to excess bleeding). Including your health care provider in decision-making about complementary therapies can help avoid such problems. Not sharing information about complementary therapies with your providers may cause harm [3,18].
Alternative therapies (those used instead of standard medical care) are not recommended.
The importance of talking with your health care provider
Some people find it hard to talk to their health care provider about wanting to try something in addition to the medical care they are getting. However, you should never hesitate to bring up issues that can impact your health. Your well-being is your health care provider’s main concern. Knowing what complementary therapies you would like to try (or are already taking) is part of giving good care. Working together, you and your provider can make informed decisions about complementary therapies that offer potential benefits without harming your health.
Tips for talking with your health care providers about complementary therapies
- Don’t be shy. Be open with your health care provider and share any thoughts, interests and concerns about complementary therapies.
- Make a list. Before your office visit, write down the things you want to talk with your provider about and do your best to get through them all before you leave. (This is a useful tip for any office visit with your provider).
- Be specific about each therapy. For supplements, make a note of the name, the manufacturer and how much of the supplement you’re thinking about or are already taking (or bring the supplements with you to your provider visit). For other types of therapies, make a note of the exact therapy, who (if anyone) will be providing it and how often you’d like to use it.
- Keep a symptom diary. When you start a therapy, keep a daily diary of any symptoms (or relief from symptoms) that you’re feeling.
- One therapy at a time. Do not try more than one new complementary therapy at a time. If a side effect occurs, you will know which therapy is most likely causing the problem. And, if you get relief from symptoms, you will know which therapy is most likely helping.
- Discuss your use of complementary therapies at each office visit. Use your symptom diary to talk about how you’ve been feeling while using the therapy.
Learn more about talking with your health care providers.
Updated 01/31/11
