Bioethics Grand Rounds- Doug Opel, MD, MPH

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Wed, February 26, 2020, 12:00pm
Location: 
UH Ford Auditorium

Doug Opel, MD, MPH - Associate Professor, Division of Bioethics, Department of Pediatrics, Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Bioethics and Humanities, University of Washington School of Medicine, Director of Clinical Ethics, Vice-Chair, Ethics Committee

How Should We Practice Shared Decision-Making in Pediatrics? A Proposal

Abstract: Shared decision-making (SDM) incorporates evidence, provider knowledge, and experience as well as patient preferences into medical decision-making to promote patient empowerment, increase trust, reduce costs, and improve health outcomes. In pediatrics, implementation of SDM must accommodate multiple goals, such as protecting the child, honoring the emerging autonomy of adolescents, and respecting parental values and decision-making authority. This distinguishes SDM in pediatrics from use of SDM with adults, where the singular goal is to protect or promote patient autonomy. There is currently no model for implementing SDM in pediatrics. In this talk, I propose a practical framework for applying SDM in pediatrics.