Grant Application

James Schuster, MD, MBA, UPMC Insurances Services Division

Proposed Innovation

Patients and their families often face a multitude of decisions regarding available treatment options — each with their own risks and benefits. Fully informed decisions can lead to the right care, at the right time, and at the right place for patients and caregivers.

Shared decision making between providers and patients is a critical component of patient-centered care. This project aims to establish a UPMC Center for Shared Decision Making that encompasses staff and creative content from both the provider services division and the insurance services division.

Improvements in Action

During this project, an environmental scan and stakeholder interviews will be conducted to assess existing SDM practices, tools, technologies, strategies, and processes currently used across the UPMC system. Using the information collected, a series of planning meetings will be held with the goal of developing a collaborative payer-provider central organizing structure around the shared decision making.

Intended Outcomes

Creating a central organizing structure that monitors and disseminates information about current and planned SDM activities will provide much needed information and resources for providers, staff, and patients to deliver and receive truly patient-centered care.