How to Make a Shared Decision with Your Healthcare Provider

Shared decision-making combines the best available evidence with clinical expertise and what matters most to you.

Human Health Strategies® editorial team · 9 min read · Last reviewed

Key Takeaways

  • Name the decision and ask whether more than one reasonable option exists.
  • Compare outcomes that matter to you, including benefits, harms, effort, cost, and uncertainty.
  • Confirm what you understand and agree on the next step, including when the decision will be revisited.

Many healthcare decisions involve more than one reasonable option. Shared decision-making is a conversation in which you and your healthcare provider discuss the evidence, expected benefits, possible harms, uncertainty, and how each option fits your goals and circumstances. It is a process for making an informed choice, not a way to transfer clinical responsibility to the patient.

Name the decision clearly

Start by asking what decision needs to be made, by when, and what happens if you wait. Some decisions are time-sensitive; others allow time to review information, involve another clinician, or consider your priorities.

Ask whether the options include monitoring, changing timing, trying a treatment, choosing a procedure, or doing more testing. Your provider can explain which options are medically reasonable for your situation.

  • What decision are we making today?
  • How urgent is it?
  • What are the reasonable options, including waiting or monitoring?
  • What information would change the decision?

Compare outcomes that matter

Ask about the benefits and harms of each option in terms you can use. That may include symptom relief, function, complications, treatment burden, recovery time, monitoring, cost, or effect on daily life. Ask for absolute numbers or plain-language ranges when they are available.

Evidence does not always predict exactly what will happen to one person. Ask how closely the research population and outcome match your situation and what uncertainty remains.

  • What benefit is most likely, and how large might it be?
  • What are the common and serious harms?
  • What would the treatment require from me?
  • What happens if it does not work?
  • How strong is the evidence for someone with my circumstances?

Check understanding and make a plan

Explain back what you think the options mean and invite correction. Ask for written information or a follow-up message if you need time to review it. You can also ask whether a second opinion or another professional, such as a pharmacist, would add useful perspective.

End with a specific plan: the option chosen or the information still needed, the next date, what to monitor, and who to contact. A shared decision can be revisited when new information or new priorities appear.

  • Can I explain the options back in my own words?
  • What are we choosing now, and what can wait?
  • What should I watch for after the decision?
  • When will we check whether the plan is working?
  • What would make us reconsider the choice?

Frequently Asked Questions

Does shared decision-making mean my provider has no recommendation?
No. Your provider can explain their clinical recommendation and why they make it while also discussing reasonable alternatives, uncertainty, and what matters to you. The goal is a clear, informed conversation rather than a decision made without your participation.
What if I need more time to decide?
Ask whether the decision is time-sensitive, what could happen while you wait, and what information would help. If waiting is reasonable, agree on a follow-up date and the questions or records to review before then.

Sources & References