Shared decision making within the context of recovery-oriented care

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to consider the role of shared decision making (SDM) as one component of recovery-oriented care. Design/methodology/approach This paper is conceptual and reviews the literature relevant to recovery-oriented care, person-centered recovery planning (PCRP), and SDM. Findings To the degree to which SDM offers tools for sharing useful information about treatment options with service users and family members or other loved ones, it can be considered a valuable addition to the recovery-oriented armamentarium. It is important to emphasize, though, that recovery-oriented practice has a broader focus on the person’s overall life in the community and is not limited to formal treatments or other professionally delivered interventions. Within the more holistic context of recovery, SDM regarding such interventions is only one tool among many, which needs to be integrated within an overall PCRP process. More emphasis is given within the recovery-oriented care to activating and equipping persons for exercising self-care and for pursuing a life they have reason to value, and the nature of the relationships required to promote such processes will be identified. In describing the nature of these relationships, it will become evident that decision making is only one of many processes that need to be shared between persons in recovery and those who accept responsibility for promoting and supporting that person’s recovery. Originality/value By viewing SDM within the context of recovery, this paper provides a framework that can assist in the implementation of SDM in routine mental health care.