Shared Decision-Making Tools

The American Society of Breast Surgeons has partnered with the SHAIR Collaborative to offer an effective evidence-based conversation aid for early-stage breast cancer surgery. Available in both English and Spanish, this conversation aid utilizes a unique Option Grid system to facilitate a shared decision making conversation between newly diagnosed breast cancer patients and their breast surgical oncologists.

About the Option Grid

The Option Grid can be used for patients with early-stage breast cancer, or DCIS, who are considering lumpectomy with radiation or a mastectomy. They answer common patient questions about the two treatment options and are meant to be used before and/or during the clinical consultation with the physician's guidance.

There are two versions of this tool: the Option Grid and the Picture Option Grid. Both conversation aids feature the same text, but the Picture Option Grid is enhanced with illustrations and bar charts designed to help patients who have lower literacy/lower health literacy.

Option Grid

Picture Option Grid

Effectiveness of the Option Grids

Most surgeons felt using the conversation aids enhanced their usual care after incorporating them into their breast surgical oncology clinics, and most newly diagnosed breast cancer patients felt comfortable that the Option Grids are part of their normal cancer care. Research demonstrates the Option Grids:

• Increased knowledge
• Improved the decision process
• Lowered decision regret
• Increased SDM (observed and self-reported)
• Improved care coordination

Want to learn more about these findings?

Tips for Using the Tools

• Let your team members know you are using the tools.
• Design a workflow for incorporating the Option Grids.
• Get help identifying eligible patients in advance.
• Print out the tools to give to patients.
• Utilize your IT department or EHR contact to help with EHR integration.

Visit the SHAIR Collaborative's Youtube Channel to learn about SDM in the environment and conversation aids.

Questions?