The shared decision-making model: Providers' and patients' knowledge and understanding in clinical practice.

Background: Shared decision making (SDM) is a collaborative approach to patient care that facilitates patient engagement in self-care by upholding the patient's values and perspectives. The Affordable Care Act (2010) offers provisions for using SDM in clinical practice to improve care outcomes; however, inconsistent evidence exists about the provider-patient satisfaction and effectiveness of using SDM in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), which offer care predominantly to the underserved.

Purpose: This study assessed providers' and patients' knowledge and understanding of SDM in two FQHC in the Pacific Northwest.