New study shows the more informed you are, the better your surgical outcome

Have you ever had questions or concerns about a medical procedure but gone ahead with it anyway?

You aren’t alone.

Doctors need to do a better job educating patients about procedures because when they do, patients have better outcomes, a new study finds.

Researchers at Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital surveyed 551 orthopedic patients about their preferred treatment options. They followed up six months later to assess the patients’ outcomes and quality of life.

Just 36 percent of patients reported feeling well-informed about their treatment and engaged in the decision process. These patients also tended to do better.

Other recent studies have explored the value of shared decision-making in the emergency room. Dr. Erik Hess, an emergency room physician and researcher at the Mayo Clinic, found chest pain to be the second leading cause of visits to emergency departments in the U.S.

By creating the “Chest Pain Choice” decision aid, he increased patient engagement and knowledge so he could make more collaborative and informed decisions with patients about when they need to be admitted to the hospital for observation.

There is growing awareness about the need for shared decision-making in health care. Have you worked with your doctor to create a treatment plan? Share your story with Voices for Affordable Health.