Realistic Conversations: Shared Decision Making for Anaesthetic and Surgical Trainees

All clinicians in Scotland are asked to practice “Realistic Medicine” including talking about risks, benefits and limitations of treatment and care options.

This interactive afternoon session for Anaesthetic and Surgical Trainees will explore a framework to support shared decision making conversations.  Identifying helpful communication behaviours and how they are used in practice.

Participants will work in a small peer group to address the challenges around shared decision making. 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.

This workshop is open to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde staff only.

Learning outcomes

• Review current practice in communication about treatment related decision-making and consent
• Describe and communicate information about risk clearly and effectively
• Discuss treatment options, benefits and limitations, taking a person-centred perspective
• Respond to people with unrealistic expectations of treatment and outcomes
• Use decision aids to support effective communication and shared decision-making