Opinion: Informed decision making in cancer care: more myth than reality
Patients and providers must work together to personalize the planning and implementation of cancer treatment to achieve the high-quality care that patients deserve.
For nearly a decade, the most distinguished minds in cancer care have advocated for shared decision-making — patients partnering with their clinicians to make informed decisions that are consistent with their needs, values, and preferences. Although widely perceived as the gold standard, it seems to be the exception rather than the rule.
My organization, Cancer, more than 3,000 American adults with cancer. Many of them noted that during their planning for treatment they did not have enough information about other treatment options, whether they would be able to work, the care they’d need at home,
