Choosing Together: encouraging person centred care and shared decision making

Like many doctors across the country, I was delighted to see the launch of the UK version of the Choosing Wisely campaign by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges,1 and equally disappointed to see the associated newspaper headlines about NHS rationing.2 It is clear to me, as I hope it is to others, that cost savings are just a helpful side effect of this initiative and are being given undue attention.

The real heart of the campaign is the increased involvement of the public in their care and the provision of relevant and understandable information to enable people to make informed choices. It highlights the important principles of person centred care and shared decision making that are increasingly becoming embedded in healthcare policy and practice.3 4

We should certainly be adopting this campaign in the UK, but I suggest we use a different name from that used in the US and Canadian versions. I propose we opt instead for Choosing Together. This more accurately reflects the mission statement and makes for a more compelling offer to those that it’s really calling to.