The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation and the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) are collaborating with Pfizer to develop a program that aims to jumpstart advances in the area of shared decision-making in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs).

The program is designed to identify gaps and needs in effective patient-provider communication and where research not been enough to understand how shared decision-making can prevent suboptimal treatment.

The program consists of a national survey of patients and healthcare practitioners to identify gaps in knowledge and use of shared decision-making in IBD, followed by a call for proposals to develop strategies based on the gaps and needs identified. Winning programs will be announced during the summer.

The program will culminate in a stakeholder conference with patients and providers to identify innovative solutions, current opportunities and challenges ahead to build an action plan – to be planned and developed between 2017 and 2020.

“Partnering with the AGA and Pfizer on such an important project is a natural extension of strong relationships we already have with both organizations,” Michael Osso, president and CEO of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, said in a press release.

“Working together, we will address the critical need to identify tools and mechanisms to support shared decision-making and improve health communication between patients and providers,” he added.

Timothy Wang, MD, American Gastroenterological Association Fellow and president of the AGA, said communication between the physician and the patient is “integral” for IBD patients to receive the care care available.

“We are pleased that our work with the foundation and Pfizer will help identify new ways to facilitate these conversations, which will help health-care professionals provide high-value care,” Wang added.

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Agency for Health and Research Quality (AHRQ), shared decision-making is a model of patient-centered care that enables and encourages people to play a role in the medical decisions that affect their health. Shared decision-making is based on two premises:

• Consumers armed with good information can (and will) participate in the medical decision-making process by asking informed questions and expressing personal values and opinions.
• Clinicians will respect patients’ preferences and objectives and use them to guide the patients through treatment options.

Some are critical of this intervention model, maintaining that patients are not able (or willing) to make their own healthcare decisions. But the AHRQ believes there is enough evidence to assume patients want more information and greater involvement in their treatment process.