Supported Decision-Making for Healthcare Professionals

Healthcare providers are charged to evaluate capacity and seek informed consent to treatment, but far too often the decision-making abilities of people with disabilities are dismissed due to their disabilities.

As a Healthcare Provider you are in a unique position to be an advocate for your patients and promote self-determination and autonomy or call their capacity into question and defer to a substitute decision maker. Supported Decision-Making offers a pathway to ensuring consent and positive health outcomes without infringing on a person’s rights.

Resources

Healthcare Access for People With Disabilities: Special Hope’s video shorts tell the story
This video white paper answers the questions: “How can we help Supported Decision-Making work? How can healthcare access be improved for people with disabilities?”
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Logo for the National Disability Rights Network with a photo of a young woman speaking to a professional
Supported Decision-Making and Health Care
An overview of Supported Decision-Making in healthcare featuring the stories of various individuals using it to make their own decisions.
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Photo of medical professionals examining an x-ray with the text "Practical Tool for Healthcare Providers: Putting Supported Decision-Making in Action for Medical Professionals"
PRACTICAL Tool for Healthcare Providers
A manual for healthcare providers who are navigating the issue of guardianship with their patients.
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Additional Information

By understanding the Supported Decision-Making process, professionals are able to better serve individuals with disabilities and understand their needs.

Learn more about what it is, how it works, and why it’s important by clicking the button below.

Learn More About Supported Decision-Making