Shared Decision Making

At Surrey Physio, we have a strong ethos that patients should be completely involved and informed about their treatment plan and any onward referrals that may be necessary. This is known as shared decision making, and this is something that our therapy team use routinely.

An example of shared decision making would be as follows:

A 71-year old patient with a swollen and stiff knee is referred to us for physiotherapy by his GP. There was no trauma associated with the injury, but the patient describes the pain as getting worse over a number of years. They also report an operation on their knee 10 years previously and our physiotherapist establishes that this was likely to be a knee arthroscopy. A case history is taken, and following consent, we perform an examination. This leads our physiotherapist to diagnose osteoarthritis of the knee, and the physiotherapist suspects that the condition is moderate/severe. At this point, our physiotherapist will discuss the possible treatment options with you, supported by evidence-based guidelines and clinical experience. In this case, the options may include treatment, rehabilitation, weight-loss or lifestyle modification, or onward referral. We work together to establish what is best for you.

Shared decision making helps to give our patients knowledge of their treatment plan and options for treatment, so the best decision can be made that is right for every individual.

Shared decision making is about informing our patients based on reliable evidence, or if evidence does not exist, based on our clinical judgment. Communication is fundamental to this process and a strong ethos at Surrey Physio.