Some tests and treatments for knee, hip, back problems, and heart disease—even for prostate and breast cancer—offer uncertain benefits, and can be risky or even unnecessary. These procedures are used more frequently when doctors make care decisions without taking into account what patients might prefer if they fully understood their range of options.

Shared Decision Making helps consumers become more informed and confident in making decisions about their own care in collaboration with their physicians.

Our program covers all the most costly conditions, including:

• Back pain (e.g., non-specific back pain, spinal stenosis, and herniated disc)
• Major joint conditions and treatment options (e.g., arthritis, osteoarthritis)
• Coronary heart disease decisions about bypass surgery and angioplasty
• Men’s health, including benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostate cancer, and PSA testing
• Breast cancer and ductal carcinoma in situ and decisions about surgery, radiation therapy, adjuvant therapy, and reconstruction
• Uterine fibroids, endometriosis, abnormal uterine bleeding, and other conditions that can often lead to hysterectomy
• End-of-life care, including advance directives
• Obesity and/or weight-loss surgery, and other surgery decisions

Shared Decision Making is easily integrated with existing wellness or care management programs to improve cost savings, regardless of the vendor.

Our program integrates with:

• Incentives to consumers and providers for participating in Shared Decision Making
• Benefit changes that link Shared Decision Making with access to high cost tests and procedures
• Support for physicians to connect their patients with the program

Cost savings from Health Dialog’s Shared Decision Making® program come on top of results from care management programs already in place.  Perhaps the best results of all come from the experience members have when they are empowered in this way.