This paper describes a novel approach to explore how regulators, working with patients and practitioners, may contribute to supporting person‐centred care and processes of shared decision making in implementing professional standards and reducing harms. Osteopathic patients report high levels of patient care. However, areas of consultations less likely to be rated as high included “fully understanding your concerns,” “helping you to take control,” and “making a plan of action with you,” suggestive of a paternalistic approach to care and a barrier to the effective implementation of standards. This programme explored how to support patients and practitioners to make more explicit what is important to support consultations with better communication in accordance with standards. A series of workshops took place involving approximately 80 participants, which explored and identified practitioner and patient values; these were themed to develop a common framework and tested using case studies. Aspects of what enables or presents a barrier to a positive consultation were further explored with real patient narratives, and a range of resources were subsequently developed, which may support patients and practitioners to make explicit what is important to them in a consultation. A series of approaches and tools were then developed for piloting including patient curriculum vitae; patient goal planner; patient animation to support preparation for an appointment; infographic: a patient poster or leaflet; practitioner reflective tool; and an audio recording to increase awareness and understanding of values‐based practice. In conclusion, a range of approaches may help to support patients and practitioners to make explicit what is important to them in a consultation. The next phase of our programme will use a range of methods including cluster sampling, pre‐testing and post‐testing with the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) measure tool, and interviews and focus groups with users and practitioners to demonstrate impact.

This chapter describes a project in osteopathy exploring how regulators can support shared decision-making by positively promoting good practice rather than by way of traditionally adopted methods based on fitness to practice and disciplinary action. The project is built in part on a background development programme in values-based osteopathy. The regulator (the General Osteopathic Council), osteopaths and patients worked together co-productively in a series of workshops to develop support resources for shared decision-making based on what is important to the individual patient in question. Central to the project was an emerging understanding of the cultural values of osteopathy as a profession and how these impact on their practice. A summary of and links to the resources produced by the project are included. The chapter starts with a case narrative (the story of ‘Jennifer’) adapted from one used in the background development programme.