Shared Decision Making in Mental Health Web-Based Tools

SAMHSA

Shared decision making is an emerging best practice in health care and mental health services. It pairs a style of communication and decision making tools to help balance clinical information about behavioral health conditions and treatment options with individual preferences, goals, cultural values, and beliefs. Westat worked with SAMHSA and AHP to design and develop interactive decision making tools for providers and patients that help patients take a more active role in their treatment plan. Products included print materials and videos for multiple audiences; decision-support workbooks for consumers; tip sheets and fillable PDF worksheets for multiple audiences; and an online decision aid that lets mental health services clients create a customized report of talking points for conversations with their providers about using anti-psychotic medications. In 2009, Westat began evaluating user satisfaction with two of these products—the workbook and the decision aid. The goals are to determine the utility of each product and to assess whether each product supports shared decision making between providers and consumers.