[Updated Dutch law demands shared decision-making]

Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2021 Jun 10:165:D5775.
[Article in Dutch]

Abstract

In January 2020, the Dutch law on the medical treatment agreement was updated. In this update, shared decision-making is explicitly mentioned as a prerequisite during doctor-patient encounters. This entails explicit exploration of the patient's wishes, views and preferences and their integration in medical decision-making. There is growing interest in shared decision-making from patient advocacy and professional societies, the government, and healthcare insurers. However, both care professionals and patients are not yet used to applying this in their encounters. Creating awareness, training and organisational changes are essential aspects to foster shared decision-making. Various (umbrella) organisations in healthcare have developed (digital) tools for both care professionals and patients to support shared decision-making. This article addresses these tools to nudge all stakeholders towards shared decision-making.

MeSH terms

  • Clinical Decision-Making
  • Decision Making*
  • Decision Making, Shared
  • Humans
  • Patient Participation*