Events

Consensus surrounding the concept of shared decision-making and how to practice it remains elusive, particularly in pediatrics. In this talk, Opel will explore points of divergence and propose a path forward.

Douglas J. Opel, MD, MPH is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He is Associate Director of the Center for Clinical and Translational Research, Director of Seattle Children’s Practice-Based Research Network, and Director of the Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics and Palliative Care, all at Seattle Children’s Research Institute. He practices as a general pediatrician at the University of Washington Medical Center. Dr. Opel has received continuous funding from US federal agencies since 2011 to support his research program to improve child health by optimizing clinician-parent communication and the clinician-parent relationship. His research has helped to identify effective vaccine communication strategies for use with parents, measure vaccine hesitancy, and improve implementation of shared decision-making in pediatrics. His overall research interests include clinician-parent communication, medical decision-making, and public health ethics. 

Dr. Opel has published articles on pediatric and bioethical issues in major journals, including New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association, American Journal of Public Health, British Medical Journal,  and Lancet.