Eliciting patient treatment preferences: A strategy to integrate evidence-based and patient-centered care

The integrated patient-centered evidence-based approach to care is integral to guide practice and enhance the quality of care. In this paper, a strategy to operationalize the integrated approach is described.

The strategy flows from the processes used to synthesize the best available evidence for interventions that address a clinical problem, and to elicit patient preferences for treatment options, which is an important step in patient-centered care. The strategy consists of three phases: (1) synthesis of evidence about the effectiveness and relevance of interventions derived from research and practice; (2) generation of written material describing the nature, dose, effectiveness, and risks associated with the evidence-based interventions; and (3) using the written descriptions to elicit patient preferences. Examples from an ongoing study are presented to illustrate the implementation of the strategy within the context of research.

Nurses are invited to apply the strategy in practice and to evaluate its feasibility and utility in enhancing the quality of care.