Standard Consultations Are Not Enough to Ensure Decision Quality Regarding Preference-Sensitive Options

Abstract
Widespread variation in medical practices and outcomes in seemingly similar populations has raised serious concerns about the quality of health care (1). Well-documented variations in outcomes can be explained partly by failures to apply best practices consistently in delivering care known to be effective (1,2). Equally important, however, are variations in rates of specific surgical or medical interventions in seemingly similar populations that reflect inadequate appreciation for the importance of individual patients’ well-informed preferences for care and subsequent health outcomes (3,4). Efforts to improve patient-centered decision quality are especially critical to ensuring quality cancer care (5).