title: Shared decision making for patients living with inflammatory arthritis.
abstract: Providing adequate care for people with inflammatory arthritis is an ongoing challenge. In recent years significant progress has been made in the treatment of inflammatory arthritic conditions. The availability of a wide range of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs as well as biologic therapies has not only improved treatment, but also made treatment decisions much more complex. This wider range of improved treatment options happened at the same time as a clear move towards patient-centred care and implementing shared decision making for both medical and surgical conditions. Implementing shared decision making has been reported to be associated with higher satisfaction and better adherence to therapy. Electronic shared decision making has more recently been suggested as a tool for clinical practice. The aim of this article is to look at further integrating shared decision making in standard rheumatology practice in view of the available evidence and the outcomes of a study looking at a recently developed patient shared decision guide.
authors.affiliation: Advanced Nurse Practitioner, North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.affiliation: Consultant Rheumatologist, Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust.
authors.forename: Yasser
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: El Miedany
mesh_terms: D001168:Arthritis / Q000628:therapy*; D003657:Decision Making; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D006801:Humans; D018802:Patient-Centered Care
keywords: Arthritis; Patient-centred care; Shared decision making