Work in Progress Seminars: Can we use 'nudges' to improve clinical decision making?

February 29, 2012 12:00 PM

or many clinical cases, patient preferences are crucial in making appropriate health care decisions. Where benefits do not necessarily outweigh harms, choices usually hinge on trade-offs that only patients can decide on. In recognition of this, decision aids have been developed to help patients understand complex medical information so they can become informed and engage in shared decision-making. However, in decisions that are unfamiliar and require the comprehension of a considerable amount of complicated information, psychology research has shown that people frequently make systematic errors that lead to poor choices. The term “nudge” was first used to describe “any aspect of the choice architecture that alters people’s behaviour in a predictable way without forbidding any options or significantly changing their economic incentives.” This research seeks to examine whether we can “nudge” patients to overcome these errors, leading to more appropriate decisions.

Presented By:
Dr. Nick Bansback
CHÉOS Scientist
Assistant Professor, School of Population and Public Health, UBC
Associate, Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation

Please join CHÉOS in welcoming Dr. Bansback on February 29 @ the Hurlburt Auditorium. This talk is open and will include a light lunch.

Hurlburt Auditorium

2nd Floor, St. Paul's Hospital