Key Takeaways from SMDM 47th Annual Conference
The Society for Medical Decision Making’s 47th Annual Conference concluded last week at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Healthcare professionals and researchers gathered together for sessions of presentations, short courses, discussions and debates related to the theme “Principled Practice: Integrating Ethics into Medical Decision Making”. Tatiana Barakshina shared impactful moments and key takeaways from the conference below.
Dr. Victoria Shaeffer, University of Missouri, shared a heartbreaking story of her Father’s battle with throat cancer, and her ways to put all her knowledge and skills in medical decision making to help her family make their own choices at every stage of treatment – surgery, chemo and radiation, and ultimately palliative care. Tatiana met Victoria earlier that day at a Decision Psychology Special Interest Group, and had no idea what a brave and emotionally impossible step she was about to make. She addressed a vast group of medical researchers and shared a personal experience that highlights the many issues and pressures even the most “prepared” patients face today, while making ➡️ or being forced, nudged or pressured to make ⬅️ life altering medical choices.
The Keynote address by Dr. Amaka Eneanya was equally thought-provoking and powerful. Now a Chief Transformational Officer at Emory, Dr. Eneanya. Dr. Eneanya is known for her work on removing race from eGFR equations. The effort took several years and led to national and international changes in how kidney disease is diagnosed and managed. In her keynote, she walked us through the full arc:
- Identifying the issue (race-based cut-off values that affected transplant eligibility
- Conducting research to challenge outdated assumptions
- Pushing the medical establishment and policymakers to update national guidelines.
She was brutally honest with the audience: even most rigorous evidence-based research is not enough. Change requires strategy. Social strategy! She shared how she used Twitter and other platforms to get her work out, and even showed a clip from Grey’s Anatomy, where Shonda Rhimes wove the research into the storyline (wild applause). Her keynote was incredibly impactful and her sincerity was noticeable.
These two women were deeply moving and powerful on the stage. Their vulnerability while sharing personal stories, was a reminder of why our work as researchers is needed. Throughout the conference, there was an emphasis on immediate practice for shared decision making and at Bazis Americas we are passionate about doing our part to create change and bring awareness to improve medical decision making.
The SMDM 47th Annual Conference was a success and we are looking forward to the 48th Annual Conference in 2026! It will take place June 28th-July 1st, 2026 in Oslo, Norway. We hope to see you there!
