A passionate advocate for patient engagement
The complexity of modern medical care can sometimes overwhelm patients, often when they are most vulnerable. Facing difficult choices among multiple treatment options, patients may feel unsure, uninformed, and distressed. Actively engaging patients in their own treatment and supporting them in shared decision-making with physicians and caregivers is the life’s work of Dr. Annette O’Connor, Distinguished Professor Emerita at the University of Ottawa School of Nursing. O’Connor’s research, focusing on the relationship between the expertise of health professionals and the human needs of patients, provides guidelines for achieving effective and informed decision-making, joining technical and procedural know-how with patients’ individual values and self-determination.