Shift the power with the launch of the Shared Decision Making (SDM) course
Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) is proud to announce the launch of the Shared Decision Making (SDM) course, a transformative eLearning course for all health, social care, and third-sector staff. The course equips practitioners with the skills and confidence to engage people, making them equal partners in health, care, and well-being decisions.
Shared decision making is an important skill for everyone working in health and care. It has the potential to change the balance of conversations between professionals and people using services to focus on what matters to them, personally. This makes sure people are empowered to access the support they need, in the way that has the most benefit for them.
Michelle Price, Allied Health Professional (AHP) Lead for Person Centred Rehabilitation for NHS Wales Executive, said:
“The SDM course is the result of extensive collaboration with various stakeholders and experts to ensure it meets the diverse needs of professionals across sectors, including Welsh Value in Health Centre, Social Care Wales, clinicians from across Wales, colleagues in the Welsh Government leading on social prescribing and the 3Ps programme, and colleagues in primary care, pharmacy, and optometry in HEIW.”
Delivered in cohorts of 8 to 20, the course combines engaging online and face-to-face lectures, self-directed digital learning resources, and practical assignments. It is designed to reinforce the importance of shared decision-making, equipping practitioners with the understanding, knowledge and skills needed for effective implementation. The digital course is hosted on Y Ty Dysgu, HEIW’s Learning Management System, featuring real-life testimonials from practitioners and numerous resources to build confidence in embedding shared decision-making in everyday practice.
Individuals interested in organising can approach HEIW to set up a course, which can be run from within a team or across organisations. The course is divided into 4 sections which each involves approximately 90 minutes of online lectures and an hour of self-directed learning. It is suggested that each two weeks is allowed for each section, but the course can be delivered more or less intensively. If you are interested in setting up a course, please contact heiw.ahp@wales.nhs.uk for more detailed guidance.
