Shared Decision Making in Adult Critical Care

The adult critical care setting requires complex clinical decisions to be made that have a dramatic impact on the lives of patients and their families. This textbook offers evidence-based case histories around shared decision making, providing practical advice to clinicians who are trying to navigate routine clinical scenarios in adult critical care. Early chapters explore the definition of the shared decision making process and practical steps that aid its implementation. The greater part of the book focuses on how shared decision making can be practiced in specific situations that are common in adult critical care, highlighting the relevant knowledge base necessary to manage each situation. Do-not-resuscitate and do-not-intubate orders, ECMO, and resolving conflicts regarding potentially inappropriate treatment are among the topics covered. An essential resource for healthcare professionals working in critical care and those looking for a framework for the use of shared decision making in this setting.

Matthew N. Jaffa is Associate Director of the NeuroRecovery Clinic in the Ayer Neuroscience Institute at Hartford Hospital and Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.

David Y. Hwang is Associate Professor of Neurology in the Division of Neurocritical Care and Emergency Neurology at the Yale School of Medicine.