Mary Politi is a health psychologist, behavioral scientist and co-director of WashU’s Center for Collaborative Care Decisions. Her primary research interests include health communication and shared decision-making. Her work helps patients and the public understand health information, explore what is important to them when making health decisions, and collaborate to make evidence-informed decisions that meet their needs. She also trains health care professionals, public health advocates and members of the public interested in shared decision-making and patient engagement.

Dr. Politi’s research includes a focus on reducing the financial burden of care costs, helping people find ways to offset the high costs of care through insurance decisions and discussions about cost-saving strategies. She works extensively with community and clinical partners to ensure her research is relevant to end users. 

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research projects on shared decision making, health literacy, health communication, financial toxicity, costs of care conversations