Option Grid™ Decision Aids from EBSCO Health Receive Certification from Washington State Health Care Authority
~ Tools Assist in the Decision-Making Process with Amniocentesis and Down Syndrome Screening Tests ~

IPSWICH, Mass. — March 20, 2019 — EBSCO Health, the leading provider of evidence-based clinical resources including Option Grid™ decision aids, has announced the certification of two decision aids by the Washington State Health Care Authority, Amniocentesis Test for Chromosome Problems: Yes or No? and Down Syndrome Screening Test: Yes or No? Currently, Washington is the only state requiring certification for shared decision making content.

Patient decision aids help achieve successful shared decision making by enabling patients to understand and compare their healthcare options, arriving at informed decisions. Option Grid decision aids are interactive and personalized, enabling a tailored presentation of healthcare options that are most relevant to the patient. Content is created using a rigorous editorial process that incorporates the most recent evidence, clinical expertise by editors that have no competing interests, and thorough literature searching, appraisal and synthesis.

EBSCO Health Senior Vice President of Medical Product Management Betsy Jones recognizes the impact of Washington State’s certification program. “Patient decision aids are proven to reduce health care costs, address patient concerns and help encourage positive interactions between patients and clinicians. We’re happy to work with the Washington State Health Care Authority to help enhance the shared decision-making experience within their communities.”

Dr. Glyn Elwyn, BA MD MSc PhD, professor at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College and Option Grid co-founder and editor-in-chief says these new decision aids will support the growing needs of the healthcare community. “Amniocentesis and Down Syndrome screening tests have been identified as areas of importance in Washington State. We are hopeful that these aids will help eliminate unnecessary variation of care and ensure that patients understand the options and evidence for risks and harms.”

For more information on Option Grid decision aids, visit: https://health.ebsco.com/products/option-grid. To find out more about the Washington State Health Care Authority’s program on shared decision making, visit: http://www.hca.wa.gov/about-hca/healthier-washington/shared-decision-making.

About EBSCO Health
EBSCO Health, part of EBSCO Information Services, is a leading provider of clinical decision support solutions, healthcare business intelligence, and medical research information for the healthcare industry. EBSCO Health users include professionals in medicine, nursing, and allied health. Flagship products include DynaMed Plus®, Dynamic Health™, clinical e-books and e-journals, EBSCO Discovery Service™, licensed databases (such as CINAHL® Complete, MEDLINE Complete) plus EBSCONET®. EBSCO Health databases are powered by EBSCOhost®, the electronic resource favored by libraries around the world.

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For more information, please contact:
Jessica Holmes
Communications Director
(978) 356-6500 ext. 3485
jmholmes@ebsco.com