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Shared decision making is a collaborative process among patients, caregivers, and clinicians. In shared decision making, patients are asked about their preferences, values, and goals that are relevant for significant personal medical decisions, such as choosing treatments or tests. PC CDS can support shared decision making through four patient-centered factors: knowledge, data, delivery, and use.  

About the Topic Highlight

This resource defines the SHARE Approach for shared decision making, which outlines five steps for patients, caregivers, and clinicians to explore the benefits, harms, and risks of different care options while considering what matters most to patents. It highlights how PC CDS can support each of the five steps of the SHARE Approach, along with the PC CDS factors of knowledge, data, delivery, and use.  

The highlight also includes a summary of the CDS for Chronic Pain Management project as an example of how PC CDS can support shared decision making between patients and clinicians.  

How To Use This Topic Highlight

Patients and caregivers can learn how digital health tools can help in making decisions with a clinician. Clinicians can see how tools support data collection, communication, and information exchange for shared decision making. CDS developers can better understand what PC CDS functionality is important for shared decision making. 

Suggested Citation: Jiménez F, Kurtzman RT, Nwefo R, Kukhareva P, Ozkaynak M, Desai PJ, CDSiC Measurement and Outcomes Workgroup, Dullabh PM. How Patient-Centered Clinical Decision Support Can Strengthen Shared Decision Making. Prepared under Contract No. 75Q80120D00018. AHRQ Publication No. 25-0058. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; June 2025.