Partnership of shared decision making of patients and doctors in the last phase of life--first results and perspectives of a model project
Van Oorschot, B.
Zeitschrift für Arztliche Fortbildung und Qualitatssicherung 98(2): 121-125
2004
ISSN/ISBN: 1431-7621 PMID: 15106492 Document Number: 580257
Patient participation is considered an important feature of our modern health system. First results of a survey among palliative tumour patients and the experiences of the Anlaufstelle Patientenverfügung [Advice Centre for information about and help with advanced directives] and the Palliative Care Team in Jena, both having been supported by the German Ministry of Health and Social Security (BMGS), confirm the need for participatory co-operation between patients and doctors. First results indicate that the patients' and their relatives' opportunities for participation need to be improved in the clinical context. Further research results show that the concept of "Shared Decision Making" should be complemented by another dimension, i.e. "common conversation", "openness" and "trust". There is a great need for advanced directives that should be increasingly used to provide communicational assistance.