Realistic Conversations: Shared Decision Making for Orthotists

A free online webinar for Orthotists, who are involved in shared decision making conversations. This online session allows participants to watch a real time interactive demonstration led by EC4H tutors. Participants will have the opportunity throughout the demonstration to contribute suggestions and feedback to the tutor team via the chat box.

There will be a short Presentation delivered by Dr Jude Marshall, Primary Care Realistic Medicine Lead NHSGGC on Realistic Medicine.

This webinar is open to Orthotists from all Scottish Health Boards.

Workshop overview

Scenario: Georgia Thomson is a 35-year-old lady who is attending the Orthotic Clinic following a referral from the Physiotherapist.  The referral requested a specific type of AFO.  Georgia has fairly recently been diagnosed with MS.  She is a busy working mum of 2 young children.

Shared Decision Making, as defined by NICE in their 2021 guideline, is a collaborative process that involves a person and their healthcare professional working together to reach a joint decision about care. It could be care the person needs straightaway or care in the future, for example, through advance care planning. It involves choosing tests and treatments based both on evidence and on the person’s individual preferences, beliefs and values. It means making sure the person understands the risks, benefits and possible consequences of different options through discussion and information sharing. This joint process empowers people to make decisions about the care that is right for them at that time (with the options of choosing to have no treatment or not changing what they are currently doing always included).

In this scenario we demonstrate the use of the ‘DECIDE’ approach to structure the conversation, demonstrating the value of the clinician and the patient exploring options together.

Learning outcomes

Workshop participants will:

Review their current practice in communication about treatment related decision-making and consent

Working together, they will practice more effective ways to:

• Communicate information about risk clearly and effectively with a wide range of patients and families.
• Communicate the benefits and limitations of treatment in a balanced way.
• Manage patients and families who have unrealistic expectations of treatment and outcomes.
• Use decision aids to support effective communication and complex shared decision-making
• Respond to complaints about clinical decision-making and consent