title: Not a Humbug: the evolution of patient-centred medical decision-making.
abstract: This 'Christmas Issue'-type paper uses the framework of 'A Christmas Carol' to tell about the evolution of decision-making in evidence-based medicine (EBM). The Ghost of the Past represents paternalistic medicine, the Ghost of the Present symbolises EBM, while the Ghost of the Future serves as a patient-centred system where research data and tools of decision science are jointly used to make optimal medical decisions for individual patients. We argue that this shift towards a patient-centred approach to EBM and medical care is the next step in the evolution of medical decision-making, which would help to empower patients with the capability to make educated decisions throughout the course of their medical treatment.
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Benjamin D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Trump
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Faina
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Linkov
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Robert P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.affiliation: Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Linkov
mesh_terms: D000066491:Clinical Decision-Making; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000639:trends; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000639:trends*; D014481:United States
keywords: PUBLIC HEALTH