Informed consent
SDM relies on the basic premise of both patient autonomy and informed consent. The model recognizes that patients have personal values that influence the interpretation of risks and benefits differently from the way a physician interprets them. Informed consent is at the core of shared decision-making, i.e. without fully understanding the advantages and disadvantages of all treatment options, patients cannot engage in making decisions. But there is frequently more than one option, with no clear choice of which option is best, especially when the decision at hand is about a preference-sensitive condition. Shared decision-making differs from informed consent in that patients base their decisions on their values and beliefs, as well as on being fully informed. Thus in certain situations the physician's point of view may differ from the decision that aligns most with the patient's values, judgments, opinions, or expectations about outcomes.