A Clinical Focus on Shared Decision Making in Clinical Practice When Providing Dysarthria and Dysphagia Services to Individuals With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Purpose: Traditional health care decision-making models center on clinicians making decisions for patients/caregivers based on the best available research evidence. However, this diminishes patient/caregiver involvement in their care and hinders the ability to align care plans with patient values and preferences. Shared decision making is a potentially beneficial process to implement with individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to provide more holistic, patient-centered dysarthria and dysphagia treatment. Shared decision making promotes active involvement by patients/caregivers by informing them of potential treatment options, understanding their values and preferences, and aligning their desires with treatment options to determine the most optimal individualized care plan. Conclusions: The benefits and barriers to incorporating shared decision making within ALS multidisciplinary clinics are discussed in this clinical focus article. Furthermore, a fictional case study example of how to apply shared decision making to dysarthria and dysphagia management of individuals with ALS is provided.