Impact of clinical pharmacist-led interventions on denosumab adherence.

The first of four sections describes the importance of SDM in general patient care, recognizing that dental patients are a part of this broader population. A brief historical context is also provided for SDM. The core elements of SDM are then presented, laying the foundation for understanding how this process can be enhanced by leveraging an improved focus on oral health impact—a central component of the patient-dental provider interaction. Experts agree that including patients in their treatment decisions is paramount for high-quality care. The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recognizes shared decision making (SDM) as a critical component for informing patients and ensuring their values and preferences are included in treatment strategy. Review evidence concludes that while patients’ views are not monolithic, a majority prefer to be included in their care and treatment decisions.() Today, SDM is widely viewed as an ethical imperative and framed as a deliberate partnership between a patient and a clinician where communication centers on understanding care options, reviewing best evidence, and weighing options for what to do next. This model of care is not new and has emerged over time in response to care that has historically been driven by a doctor’s judgment with little attention to a patient’s values or preferences. These paternalistic systems of care were accepted practice for generations and assumed that the best clinical practice is determined solely as a product of clinical expertise. The history of medicine has long been marked by tension between the authority of physicians and the lived experiences of patients. In Ivan Illich’s controversial book, , he writes, “A vast amount of contemporary clinical care is incidental to the curing of disease … Awe-inspiring medical technology has combined with egalitarian rhetoric to create the impression that contemporary medicine is highly effective.” () While contentious, the sentiment reminds us how clinical expertise has often eclipsed patient experience. As science improved over time, so did opportunities to diagnose and treat illness with unprecedented precision, yet the fundamental question remains: Does this progress reflect what truly matters to patients? Arguably, SDM emerged as an approach to address this very concern—bringing patient voices to the center of clinical encounters.