How can patient navigators support the shared decision-making process?

Patient navigators play a crucial role in the shared decision-making process by ensuring effective communication among all parties involved, including patients, families, and healthcare providers. By summarizing communication concerns to the team prior to a meeting, navigators help in clarifying key issues, priorities, and any challenges that have been identified by the patient. This preparation allows the healthcare team to address concerns proactively, tailor discussions to the patient's needs, and emphasize relevant information during the decision-making process.

By fostering an environment where concerns are openly discussed and considered, patient navigators enhance the understanding of the patient's perspective, ultimately leading to more informed and collaborative decision-making. This not only helps in aligning the healthcare team’s approach but also reassures the patient that their voice is included in the decision process.

In contrast, while scheduling meetings and ensuring they run on time is important for meeting logistics, it does not directly contribute to the depth of shared decision-making. Similarly, taking into account opinions from all providers is significant, but without prior summarization of patient concerns, the team’s collective input might not adequately reflect the patient's needs. Lastly, while ensuring everyone is happy with the decision made sounds positive, true shared decision-making is about reaching an informed consensus rather than simply achieving happiness, which