What is shared decision-making, and how can it help patients?

"I think there's a strong recognition in American medicine of the importance of patient engagement – not only in their care, but in deciding what types of care and types of procedures they're going to get," said Dr. Larry Allen, a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora. "And in order to optimally engage patients in that process, we need to outline ways in which the health system and clinicians like myself can better get those patients involved in their care."